On August 31st, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation was signed by ECNU, the Education University of Hong Kong (“EUHK”) and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (“HKUST”) to jointly establish the Artificial Intelligence & Future of Education Alliance. Mei Bing, Secretary of CPC ECNU Committee, and Yuan Zhenguo, Honorary Dean of Shanghai Institute of Smart Education and Director of the Faculty of Education, attended the ceremony in Hong Kong.
Mei Bing, in her speech, said that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Shanghai-Hong Kong cooperation mechanism. The establishment of the “Artificial Intelligence & Future of Education Alliance” by the three universities is in alignment with the trend of educational transformation, highlighting the dynamic and cooperative achievements in educational technology interaction between Shanghai and Hong Kong, as well as between mainland China and Hong Kong. Looking forward, it is expected that the universities can concentrate their strengths and resources in the fields of intelligent education, teacher education, and artificial intelligence, so as to engage in even closer cooperation, contributing to the development of future-oriented education and technology.
Mei Bing, on behalf of ECNU, signed the MOU on Cooperation with Prof. Lee Chi-kin, Acting President and President-Designate of EUHK (President since Sept. 1st) and Prof. Guo Yike, Provost of HKUST. During the ceremony, ECNU also signed a MOU on Cooperation with HKUST to jointly establish an Artificial Intelligence Education Center.
During their visit to Hong Kong, the delegation led by Mei Bing also visited the Education Technology Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong S.A.R.. They reported on the latest developments at ECNU and the key initiatives related to Hong Kong. Wang Weiming, Director General of the Education Technology Department, welcomed the ECNU delegation and affirmed the university’s achievements in educational exchange with Hong Kong. Both parties then conducted practical discussions on further leveraging ECNU’s important role in influencing educational policies, providing educational training, and advancing educational technology in the Hong Kong context.
ECNU and EUHK have maintained long-term cooperation with frequent exchanges among faculty and students. In recent years, the two universities have achieved significant results in multiple areas such as curriculum education, physical education, and benchmarking in teaching quality assurance. HKUST is renowned for its excellence in scientific research and applications, particularly in such fields as data science, automation systems and robotics, as well as neuroscience. It serves as an important partner of ECNU in the field of intelligent education. The establishment of the Artificial Intelligence and Future of Education Alliance will give full play to the geographical and disciplinary advantages of the three universities, striving together to promote the development of artificial intelligence and the future of education.
In recent years, in response to the national call for developing new pathways in education and shaping new advantages in educational development, ECNU has been actively engaged in empowering digital education and developing smart education. With a focus on serving the national major strategy of developing “digital education”, the university has grounded its efforts in fulfilling practical demands, strategically implemented precise measures, and proactively positioned itself in future industries and academic disciplines. In December 2020, ECNU established the Shanghai Institute of Smart Education to prepare for the development of future education by accumulating critical technologies and talent.
In February 2021, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and ECNU signed a co-construction agreement. In November 2021, the Institute was selected as one of the first batch of laboratories for the construction of philosophy and social sciences by the Ministry of Education. In January 2022, the “Smart Education” discipline led by ECNU was included in the construction scope of Shanghai’s Class IV Peak Discipline. In May 2023, the university merged the Shanghai Institute of Smart Education and the School of Computer Science and Technology to establish the new School of Computer Science and Technology.
The series of measures and achievements in the field of smart education represent ECNU’s strategic efforts to promote the cross-integration of traditional disciplines and future disciplines, and demonstrate the effective practice of “recreating excellence”. It also reflects the university's proactive role in leading educational innovation through the development of cutting-edge interdisciplinary studies, pioneering new models in the context of China’s modernization of education, and shaping new dynamics and advantages in its development.
