On the morning of March 27, 2025, the inauguration ceremony of the Global Institute for Teacher Development (GITD) — jointly initiated by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China and co-founded by 21 universities and institutions — was held at Beijing Normal University (BNU). A total of 114 teachers and international students from over 50 countries worldwide participated in the first session of the institute’s international teacher training program.
Professor Zhang Minxuan, Director of the UNESCO Teacher Education Centre (TEC), delivered a keynote speech titled School Teachers: The World’s New Expectations as an invited expert. He outlined the global landscape and local characteristics of teacher development from perspectives including teachers’ digital transformation, learning sciences, socio-affective support, and their role as knowledge producers. He pointed out that the future society will be full of changes, making lifelong learning crucial for teachers; the world is expecting teachers to transform from monopolizers of knowledge to users and masters of digital technology. The speech received a warm response from the attending guests and training participants.
Hosted at BNU, the GITD is jointly established by the Ministry of Education and 21 universities. Its aim is to break the limitations of scattered and fragmented previous international teacher exchange activities, integrate international teacher exchange programs and teacher training resources across universities, promote large-scale and systematic international teacher exchanges, and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind. Shanghai Normal University (SHNU), which has long been committed to international exchanges in teacher education, is among the 21 founding members of the GITD.
As the only Category 2 UNESCO institute in China dedicated to teacher education, the UNESCO Teacher Education Centre (TEC) has, since its establishment, remained committed to becoming a service provider, standard-setter, and research & resource management hub in the global teacher education field. In the establishment of the GITD — from policy formulation to training program design — Professor Zhang Minxuan and Associate Professor Song Jia from TEC played key roles as core members. In recognition of their contributions, the Department of Teacher Work under the Ministry of Education specially sent a letter of thanks.
Associate Professor Song Jia from TEC, Albert Kissima (a Tanzanian PhD student), and PhD student Chen Chuan also attended the event.
Contributed by: UNESCO Teacher Education Centre (TEC)Photos provided by: Global Institute for Teacher Development (GITD); Institute of International and Comparative Education, Shanghai Normal University (SHNU)
