The opening ceremony of the 2026 Online Exchange Program for Mathematics Educators in Zanzibar, Tanzania, hosted by UNESCO-TEC, was held on July 9. The event was held in a hybrid format, with an on-site venue at the UNESCO-TEC building and an online meeting room.
Opening remarks were delivered in sequence by Dr. WU Kinbing, member of the Expert Advisory Committee of TEC and former Lead Education Specialist of the World Bank; Dr. LIANG Xiaoyan, Lead Education Specialist of the World Bank; Mr. Abdallah Mohammed Mussa, Director of the Zanzibar Institute of Education; Prof. HU Guoyong, Deputy Director of UNESCO-TEC; and Prof. JIANG Mingjun, Vice President of Shanghai Normal University.
Attendees included officials from functional departments of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Zanzibar, staff responsible for curriculum development, ICT training and secondary education administration, as well as 33 mathematics educators from Unguja and Pemba Islands. The event was also joined by the TEC team, Shanghai teachers and volunteer representatives. Prof. HUANG Xingfeng, the Program Lead moderated the opening ceremony. Dr. SHEN Yihua, the Program Coordinator briefed all participants on the overall arrangement, training schedule and the composition of the Shanghai-based team.
The Program subsequently held its first cross-cultural seminar, focusing on the teaching of Vectors. Facilitated by Prof. HUANG Xingfeng, the seminar systematically presented classroom practices, instructional design frameworks, and pedagogical approaches for teaching vectors. The participating educators were divided into groups for online exchanges and discussions, where they shared their insights and perspectives, creating a lively and interactive atmosphere.
Tailored to the practical needs of mathematics education development in Zanzibar, the Program has established a China-Africa dialogue platform on mathematics education through various activities, including online thematic lectures, case sharing, group seminars, and exchanges on outcomes. It has fully showcased Shanghai’s practical experience in basic education and mathematics education reform, laying a solid foundation for continued China-Tanzania collaboration in teacher training, the co-development of digital mathematics teaching resources, and regular exchanges.
