True educational transformation does not stem from passively following technology; it's rather actively curated by a group of proactive "pioneers". They are visionaries, practitioners, leaders, and change agents of transformation. Under one of the key commitments of UNESCO's Education 2030 Agenda to building inclusive and equitable quality education for all, UNESCO-ICHEI, since its establishment, has regarded "leveraging digital technologies to promote innovation and transformation in the field of higher education" as its core mission. Innovation transcends the application of emerging technology, but to holistically enhancing the internal capabilities of higher education institutions, especially those in the Global South, thereby promoting a quality and equitable higher education future.

In 2023, UNESCO-ICHEI launched the "IIOE Higher Education Digitalisation Pioneer Case Award" (Pioneer Award). The Pioneer Award is based on the International Institute for Online Education (IIOE), an evolving educational digital ecosystem jointly constructed by global partner organisations. It recognises, encourages, and projects the influence of the best practices emerging in the digital transformation of higher education. Based on long-standing collaboration and localisation, authentic educational scenarios and demands of IIOE and its partners, the Pioneer Award continuously explores innovative practices with adaptability and transferability, promoting their dissemination and growing impact in the higher educational sector of the Global South.

In 2025, we observed a deepened understanding of digital transformation, moving from "emergency response" to "active change". The winning cases demonstrated more interdisciplinary, national and international collaborative practices, as well as explorations of integrating cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), in teaching, research, and management in a highly flexible and localised manner. The value of the Pioneer Award lies in the open and exploratory spirit of UNESCO-ICHEI and its partners, as well as the belief in the core competency to "learn how to learn" in response to the constantly changing era, and the pursuit of lifelong learning. In the IIOE ecosystem, every practitioner is an advocate and practitioner of this value, adopting and adapting innovations and changes to solve the challenges and problems emerging in higher education. To record and amplify their achievements, we use the Pioneer Award as a prism, reflecting the experiences and suggestions behind these practices that can be referenced by global higher education stakeholders, and understanding the key elements contained in the transformation.

The process of selecting the Pioneer Award is also a process of finding exemplary power, which can be interpreted by three keywords: recognition, encouragement, and influence.

Firstly, "Recognition". In the education sector, many innovative practices are happening quietly. The primary significance of the Pioneer Award is to discover and solemnly recognise these efforts. Through a rigorous and fair review mechanism - gathering anonymous reviews from established experts in the field with consideration of regional representation and gender balance - to ensure that the selected cases demonstrate frontier exploration and outstanding achievements in the respective context. For example, Mongolian University of Science and Technology transformed international AI courses into Mongolian and promoted them in 38 universities across the country, benefiting nearly 2,000 teachers. This practice demonstrates the team's profound insight into local needs and great dedication. Its local approach and processes are worthy of more attention and reference from regions lacking educational resources due to language barriers.

Secondly, "Inspiration". Recognition is about discovering value, while inspiration is about sharing value, aiming to honor the resilience and innovative spirit of the pioneers in the path of transformation. The award is not only an affirmation of successful project outcomes, but also a tribute to the perseverance and persistence of the people behind it. It is like an amplifier, transmitting the voices of educators to a broader world, inspiring more collaborators to forge ahead. For instance, the team from Ain Shams University in Egypt, at the IIOE Egypt National Centre, has gradually evolved from a support role affected by the pandemic to a leader who attempts to integrate AI technology into teaching and learning programs, aiming to advance public health and life sciences with emerging technologies. The exemplary power and perseverance of this team are worthy of encouragement and sharing.

Finally, "Influence". This is the core and most profound meaning of the Pioneer Award. Each pioneer practice offers valuable lessons that can be learned, providing practical experiences for individuals, institutions, and higher education stakeholders at various stages of development, thereby promoting the collective progress of the entire ecosystem. The IIOE Zambian National Center, in collaboration with enterprises, integrates industry certifications into university classrooms, providing a highly influential practical path for the integration of industry and education. The Classroom-Practice-Entrepreneurship talent cultivation model jointly established by Xiamen University and Baidu PaddlePaddle offers a guide for AI talent cultivation. By promoting these cases, we will gather individual wisdom into collective wealth, providing a promising solution toolkit for global southern countries to address common challenges.

Shaping the future of higher education

With an open and exploratory spirit, the Pioneer Award seeks and supports those who advocate learning to learn, are courageous in practice, and adaptively innovate to address the challenges of higher education in the era of lifelong learning. The Pioneer Award is evolving into a significant platform that connects the educational needs of global southern countries with the UNESCO 2030 Education Agenda, promoting multilateral collaboration and common development through the sharing of replicable practice models. We firmly believe that the focus of the award lies in stimulating innovative ideas, becoming a change agent, rather than merely focusing on the current achievements.

Looking forward, we anticipate the award to continue serving as a platform, gathering collective wisdom, inspiring greater cooperation, and enabling every pioneer in the field of education to be recognised, inspired, and influenced to shape a more open, collaborative, and sustainable future for higher education.