From July 3 to 5, the TALIS Governing Board (TGB) Meeting, co-hosted by the UNESCO Teacher Education Centre (hereinafter referred to as the Centre) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), was successfully held at the Centre. This meeting is a regular working session specifically established by the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills for the TALIS project, attended by member representatives from countries (regions) participating in the TALIS survey. It marked the first time the meeting has been held in China.
The 45 on-site TGB representatives at this meeting came from 21 countries and regions, including major developed countries worldwide, emerging industrial nations such as Singapore and South Africa, and Shanghai, China. Some representatives from other countries participated online. The opening ceremony was chaired by Ruochen Li, Senior Manager for TALIS, Directorate for Education and Skills, OECD. At the ceremony, Chen Dali, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges, Ministry of Education, delivered a speech on behalf of China, welcoming TGB representatives from various countries and OECD officials to Shanghai for discussions and exchanges. Deputy Director-General Chen spoke highly of the positive role and international influence of the TALIS project in promoting teacher development. Subsequently, Professor Zhang Minxuan, Head of Shanghai’s TALIS Project at the Centre, delivered a speech on behalf of the Shanghai TALIS Research Centre/Secretariat, extending a warm welcome to the visiting TGB representatives. Wang Wei, Director of the International Organizations Division, Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges, Ministry of Education, and other relevant personnel attended the opening ceremony.
Following the opening ceremony, Andreas Schleicher, Director of the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills, delivered a speech on behalf of the OECD and presented a work report to the TALIS Governing Board. During the two-day roundtable meeting, TGB representatives from various countries focused on reviewing the progress of the TALIS 2024 survey implementation, budget arrangements, data collection for the official survey, and the release of results in 2025, among other work items. Associate Professor Xu Jinjie and Associate Professor Zhu Xiaohu, members of the TALIS Secretariat/Research Centre at the Centre, attended the meeting.
On July 5, TGB representatives from various countries visited Shanghai Jianqing Experimental School to participate in activities featuring school tours and discussions on digital empowerment for teacher development in Changning District. The seminar was chaired by Professor Zhang Minxuan from the Centre. At the seminar, Gu Jieyan, Deputy District Mayor of Changning District, delivered a speech and welcomed the visit of the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills. The two sides exchanged gifts. Zhang Jin, Deputy Director of the Personnel Division of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, introduced the general situation of basic education teacher team building in Shanghai. Jiang Ming, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Teacher Education Institute, gave a special introduction to digital empowerment for teacher resource allocation. Xiong Qiuju, Director of the Changning District Education Bureau, delivered a keynote report, systematically introducing the regional practices of Changning District in promoting the digital transformation of education. Luo Yufeng, Principal of Jianqing Experimental School, explained how the smart management service platform for teachers supports the professional growth of every teacher in the school. Xia Xiajuan, Deputy Director of the Changning District Education Bureau, and leaders from relevant departments of the Education Bureau attended the event. During the seminar, many TGB representatives and OECD officials spoke and raised questions, engaging in lively and in-depth interactive discussions.
