On August 1, 2025, the UNESCO TEC International STEM Education Volunteer Team and Regional & Country Education Research Group were invited to Yogyakarta State University (UNY) to participate in an academic seminar hosted by the Joint Education Research Centre (JEC-TEC-UNY) between UNESCO TEC and UNY. Since the establishment of this joint education research centre in 2023, this marked the first exchange activity involving young students from both sides. Professor Nur Hidayanto Pancoro Setyo Putro, Vice Rector of UNY, and Professor Siswantoyo, Dean of the Graduate School, extended a warm welcome to the UNESCO TEC delegation, expressing expectations to strengthen cooperation in teaching and research. Associate Professor Zhu Xiaohu thanked UNY for its warm reception and acknowledged the progress made by the joint education research centre. Nearly 80 faculty members and students from various departments of UNY attended the event on site.
During the seminar, Dr. Dyah Kumalasari, Vice Dean of the Graduate School at UNY, introduced that as Indonesia’s leading institution in teacher education, UNY has achieved remarkable results in teacher training with core initiatives. She expressed hope that deepening cooperation in research, curriculum development, and capacity building would inject new impetus into China-Indonesia educational exchanges.
Associate Professor Zhang Huafeng from UNESCO TEC delivered a report titled Exploring the Learning of STEM Teachers in Shanghai. Based on a survey of 2,410 teachers from 28 middle schools in Shanghai, the report outlined the learning characteristics and strengths of Shanghai’s STEM teachers, proposing that countries should join hands to address new opportunities and challenges in STEM education.
Dr. Ding Ruoxi and master’s student Cheng Jialei delivered a joint report themed Knowledge Sharing and Youth Development in International Teacher Exchanges. Dr. Ding Ruoxi presented the knowledge flow and teacher organization models in China-UK and China-Tanzania teacher exchange programs. In particular, she highlighted the catalyst role of young teachers and student teachers in cross-cultural knowledge sharing through vertical enhancement of knowledge interaction and horizontal diffusion of in-depth knowledge. Drawing on her own experiences, Cheng Jialei shared the significance of international exchanges for the development of youth competence. Taking the China-Tanzania teacher professional development program and this China-Indonesia educational exchange program as cases, she introduced UNESCO TEC’s practical initiatives to promote students’ global competence development, demonstrated her own growth, and advocated for young students to actively participate in people-to-people exchanges to build a better world.
Master’s student Shen Huayu delivered a report on the current status of China-Indonesia basic education cooperation, based on interviews with 26 primary and secondary school principals from 16 provinces in Indonesia. The report revealed Indonesia’s needs in basic education development and its demand for Chinese knowledge and technical support, putting forward specific suggestions for deepening cooperation at the government, university, and primary and secondary school levels.
Undergraduate student Fei Jiayi delivered a report titled Chinese Teachers' Image from an Ethical Perspective. Taking Yu Yi, a renowned Chinese female educator, as an example, she analyzed Yu’s sense of mission to cultivate talents for the country, education philosophy centered on love, and enterprising spirit in promoting educational reform, showcasing the image of a large number of outstanding educators and teachers in China’s educational reform and development process.
The reports from UNESCO TEC were warmly received, with on-site teachers and students engaging in active interactions with the team.
From August 1 to 4, the UNESCO TEC International STEM Education Volunteer Team and Regional & Country Education Research Group carried out a series of exchange and research activities in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. On August 2, a China-Indonesia educational cooperation interview and discussion was held at UNY, attended by 30 people including the Director of International Exchange at UNY, deans of several colleges, Indonesian students, and Chinese international students. Teachers and students from UNESCO TEC had in-depth conversations with participants, gaining a better understanding of the reform goals and challenges in Indonesia’s higher and basic education, and depicting how Indonesia’s education community views China’s educational image, development experience, and innovation directions—insights that may inform China-Indonesia educational cooperation. On August 4, the team visited the Yogyakarta Regional Teacher Development Centre to exchange views and investigate the current status of local teacher professional development system construction in Indonesia.
