The　International　Exchange　Activity　of　the　UNESCO　Chair　on　Technology　and　Engineering　Education　for　Children　and　Youth　kicked　off　in　Nanshan，　Shenzhen

On　18　November　2024，　an　international　exchange　activity，　co－sponsored　by　the　UNESCO　Chair　on　Technology　and　Engineering　Education　for　Children　and　Youth　and　the　People’s　Government　of　Nanshan　District，　Shenzhen，　and　undertaken　by　the　Education　Bureau　of　Nanshan　District，　Shenzhen，　and　co－organized　by　the　School　of　Education　Science，　Nanjing　Normal　University　and　the　New　Education　Research　Institute　of　Soochow　University，　was　formally　kicked　off　at　the　Shenzhen　Shekou　Yucai　Education　Group　Shanhai　School.

This　forum　brought　together　experts　including　Dr.　Miao　Fengchun，　Director　of　Informatization　and　Artificial　Intelligence　in　Education，　UNESCO，　Tamas　Hajba，　Senior　Adviser　＆　Head　of　Beijing　Office，　Organization　for　Economic　Co－operation　and　Development　（OECD），　Yu　Changxue，　Director　of　China　Centre　for　International　People－to－People　Exchange，　Ministry　of　Education，　PRC，　Feng　Wei，　Deputy　Director　of　the　Department　of　Education　of　Guangdong　Province，　Zhou　Liuyu，　Grade　4　Researcher，　Office　of　Exchange　and　Co－operation，　Department　of　Education　of　Guangdong　Province，　Zhao　Li，　Member　of　the　Education　Work　Committee　of　the　Shenzhen　Municipal　Party　Committee，　Member　of　the　Party　Group　and　Deputy　Director　of　the　Municipal　Education　Bureau，　Xia　Lei，　Standing　Committee　Member　and　Vice　Governor，　Nanshan　District，　Shenzhen，　Guangdong　Province，　Professor　Zhang　Xueji，　Academician　of　the　European　Academy　of　Sciences，　Foreign　Academician　of　the　Russian　Academy　of　Engineering　and　Academician　of　the　American　Institute　for　Medical　and　Biological　Engineering，　Professor　Gu　Jianjun　of　Nanjing　Normal　University，　the　construction　unit　of　the　UNESCO　Chair　on　Technology　and　Engineering　Education　for　Children　and　Youth，　Huang　Jianbin，　Party　Secretary　and　Vice　President　of　Shenzhen　Lexin　Holdings　Co.，　Ltd.，　Wang　Pengfei，　Executive　Director，　Institute　of　Labour　Education，　New　Education　Research　Institute，　Soochow　University，　and　Yang　Jun，　Director　of　Education　Bureau　of　Nanshan　District，　Shenzhen.　Professor　He　Yong　of　the　United　Nations　Office　of　Human　Resources，　Professor　Scott　Nichols，　Executive　Chairman　of　the　International　Technology　and　Engineering　Association　（ITEEA），　and　Professor　Li　Guofang，　Canada’s　Chief　Scientist　from　the　University　of　British　Columbia，　Salomé　Martínez，　Chair　of　the　UNESCO－Supported　Mathematics　Teachers　Preparation　Program　in　Chile　for　the　21st　Century，　Professor　Wendy　Fox－Turnbull　from　the　University　of　Waikato，　New　Zealand　as　well　as　500　international　experts　and　scholars　from　countries　including　Sweden，　Malaysia，　Japan，　Korea，　Singapore，　Vietnam，　Brunei，　Cambodia，　and　Nigeria　participated　in　this　meeting　online.

At　the　opening　ceremony，　Xia　Lei，　Standing　Committee　Member　and　Vice　Governor，　Nanshan　District，　Shenzhen，　Guangdong　Province，　Tamas　Hajba，　Senior　Adviser　＆　Head　of　Beijing　Office，　Organization　for　Economic　Co－operation　and　Development　（OECD），　and　Yu　Changxue，　Director　of　China　Centre　for　International　People－to－People　Exchange，　Ministry　of　Education，　PRC，　delivered　speeches　respectively，　expressing　their　warmest　congratulations　and　best　wishes　for　the　event.　The　“Youth　Blockchain　Technology　and　Engineering　Education　Practice　Base”，　a　collaborative　initiative　between　the　UNESCO　Chair　on　Technology　and　Engineering　Education　for　Children　and　Youth，　Education　Bureau　of　Nanshan　District，　Shenzhen，　the　New　Education　Research　Institute　of　Soochow　University，　and　the　Shenzhen　Lexin　Holdings　Co.　Ltd.，　was　inaugurated，　signifying　a　significant　advancement　in　the　domain　of　technology　and　engineering　education　within　the　Shenzhen　metropolis.

Director　Yang　Jun　stated　that　the　international　exchange　activities　are　designed　to　address　China’s　shortage　of　K12　technology　and　engineering　education，　enhance　science　education，　identify　top　innovative　talents，　and　develop　high－quality　technical　and　skilled　personnel.　These　efforts　aim　to　establish　a　focal　point　for　the　advancement　of　new　productivity，　providing　a　robust　educational　foundation.　Concurrently，　it　would　establish　a　foundation　for　amicable　interactions　between　the　Nanshan　District　and　other　nations，　facilitate　the　advancement　of　K12　technical　and　engineering　education　in　the　Nanshan　District，　and　further　elaborate　on　the　“Nanshan　Experience”　of　technical　and　engineering　education，　as　documented　by　the　Chair　and　conveyed　to　UNESCO.

In　the　keynote　sharing　session，　Dr.　Miao　Fengchun，　Director　of　Informatization　and　Artificial　Intelligence　in　Education，　UNESCO，　Professor　Zhang　Xueji，　Deputy　Director　of　the　of　the　School　Affairs　Committee　of　Shenzhen　University，　Academician　of　the　European　Academy　of　Sciences，　Foreign　Academician　of　the　Russian　Academy　of　Engineering　and　Academician　of　the　American　Institute　for　Medical　and　Biological　Engineering，　and　Professor　Gu　Jianjun，　Chairholder　of　the　UNESCO　Chair　on　Technology　and　Engineering　Education　for　Children　and　Youth，　and　Chairman　of　the　Specialized　Committee　on　Technology　Teaching　in　Basic　Education，　Ministry　of　Education，　China　engaged　in　a　spirited　discourse　on　the　interpretation　of　UNESCO’s　report　on　generative　AI，　global　vision　and　innovation　of　major　countries，　the　characteristics　of　technology　and　engineering　education　in　primary　and　secondary　schools　in　the　digital　era，　and　its　relationship　to　the　transformation　of　school　education.　The　subsequent　international　exchange　session　represented　a　culmination　of　the　event，　with　guests　from　a　range　of　countries　sharing　their　research　findings　and　practice　cases，　thereby　offering　valuable　insights　to　the　participants.

Professor　Gu　Jianjun　stated　that　the　UNESCO　Chair　on　Technology　and　Engineering　Education　for　Children　and　Youth　is　aligned　with　UNESCO’s　development　strategy，　facilitates　collaboration　with　UNESCO　institutions，　networks　and　regions，　and　fosters　an　integrated　system　of　research，　teaching，　training，　and　exchange，　as　well　as　community　participation　and　industry－education　integration　in　the　field　of　technology　and　engineering　education　for　children　and　youth，　facilitates　knowledge　sharing　and　transformational　development　of　technology　and　engineering　education　for　children　and　youth　which　is　achieved　through　research，　standards　development，　curriculum　development，　educational　experiments，　talent　training　and　international　exchanges　and　thereby　providing　support　for　the　promotion　of　global　educational　change　and　the　implementation　of　UNESCO’s　goals.

It　is　reported　that　the　international　exchange　activities　will　span　a　period　of　two　days，　encompassing　the　opening　ceremony，　keynote　presentations，　international　exchanges，　regional　practice　workshops，　closing　ceremony，　field　education　visits　and　other　related　events.　The　Nanshan　District　Education　Bureau　has　announced　that　the　closing　ceremony　will　be　made　available　to　the　global　community　with　the　objective　of　promoting　the　K12　technology　and　engineering　education　programme，　which　has　been　designated　the　“Nanshan　Initiative”.