On July 10, 2025, the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspiced of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI), was invited to participate in the "Africa-Asia Youth Tech Forum: Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Education in the AI Era", co-organised by the Priority Africa and External Relations Sector of UNESCO (UNESCO PAX) and CODEMAO. The forum brought together representatives from governments, international organisations, tech companies, and the education sector to build a collaborative AI education ecosystem between Africa and Asia through policy dialogue, technology sharing, and academia-industry cooperation. The aim was to promote sustainable development of science and technology education for youth in both regions.

Mr. Bolat Akchulakov, President of the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations (WFUCA) and Advisor to the President of Kazakhstan, Ms. Amal El Fallash Seghrouchni, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform of Morocco, Mr. GUO Zhijun, Fourth-Level Researcher at the Education Division of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, Mr. Mohamed Elfarnawany, Director of the Division for Priority Africa Coordination at UNESCO, Ms. Amelina Natalia, Chief of the Unit of Teacher Professional Development and Networking at the Institute for Information Technologies in Education of UNESCO (UNESCO-IITE), Ms. BI Xiaohan, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI, and Mr. LI Tianchi, Founder and CEO of CODEMAO delivered opening remarks.

Group photo of forum participants (photo credit: CODEMAO)

Mr. Bolat Akchulakov highly commended Shenzhen's vibrant achievements in science and technology innovation and shared the phased progress Kazakhstan has made in implementing its "Youth Roadmap". He called for strengthened international collaboration to continuously empower the younger generation and jointly build a more inclusive and sustainable future in the age of AI.

Ms. BI Xiaohan pointed out that AI technology is rapidly reshaping education systems, and there is an urgent need to develop a new teaching paradigm based on human-AI collaboration that is more personalised, inclusive, and engaging. She stated that UNESCO-ICHEI would leverage its flagship projects such as the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE) to co-develop future-oriented AI education systems with global partners.

Mr. Bolat Akchulakov delivering remarks (photo credit: CODEMAO)	Ms. BI Xiaohan delivering remarks (photo credit: CODEMAO)

Mr. CAO Zian, Chief of the Global Partnership Programme at UNESCO-ICHEI, spoke at the round-table forum titled "Building a Synergistic Vision for AI Education in Africa and Asia". He shared UNESCO-ICHEI's practical experience and achievements in establishing a global partner network, promoting co-development and sharing of course resources, and strengthening university-industry cooperation. The forum identified key pathways for Africa-Asia collaboration in AI education: adopting a needs-based approach, acknowledging regional differences, and forging a shared vision for development. These include removing barriers through policy coordination, addressing resource gaps through sharing, and driving implementation through innovation. Speakers agreed that the ultimate goal of Africa-Asia collaboration is to ensure technology truly serves educational equity and innovation, nurturing a generation of young talents with global vision and local insight.

Round-table forum on "Building a Synergistic Vision for AI Education in Africa and Asia"

(photo credit: CODEMAO)

Mr. SIT Fung, Assistant Director and Chief of IIOE Management Centre at UNESCO-ICHEI, moderated the round-table forum on "Cultivating Innovative Talent for the AI Era". Mr. DU Yue, Secretary-General of the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations (WFUCA) participated as a panelist in the round-table discussion. Panelists emphasised that the development of AI innovation talent in Africa and Asia should be supported by a collaborative framework built by international organisations, enriched by the educational and research resources of universities, and grounded in real-world application scenarios provided by enterprises. Looking ahead, panelists called for further dismantling of regional barriers, promoting cross-border flow of high-quality resources, enabling African and Asian youth to master cutting-edge global technologies while addressing local needs, and nurturing "new-quality talent" capable of driving scientific and technological advancement in both regions.

Round-table forum on "Cultivating Innovative Talent for the AI Era" (photo credit: CODEMAO)

Mr. SIT Fung and Mr. DU Yue spoke at the round-table forum on "Cultivating Innovative Talent for the AI Era"

(photo credit: CODEMAO)

About CODEMAO

Founded in 2015, CODEMAO provides self-developed programming software and education for young people around the world. Its offerings include a wide range of online courses covering all age groups and various programming languages, as well as offline learning services, competitions, and assessments. CODEMAO delivers AI and programming education solutions to educational authorities and schools across China. To date, it has served over 70,000 primary and secondary schools and trained more than 170,000 ICT teachers nationwide. Building on its practical experience in China, CODEMAO is committed to working with UNESCO and countries across Asia and Africa to ensure that every young person has equal opportunities to learn and grow in the age of AI through technology sharing, resource exchange, and localised cooperation.