On May 14, 2025, the "Third Annual Conference of the Measurement and Evaluation Scientific Association" was held in Cairo, Egypt. It was jointly organized by the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE) Egypt National Centre and the Measurement and Evaluation Scientific Association (MESA) of the Association of Arab Universities. The conference was attended by several distinguished guests, including Prof. Amr Ezzat Salama, Secretary-General of the Association of Arab Universities; Prof. Sherif Kishk, Deputy to the Minister of Higher Education for Digital Transformation; Prof. Nadia Badrawy, Vice President of the Arab Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ANQAHE); Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of Ain Shams University. Prof. JIN Li, Director of the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI), delivered video remarks at the opening ceremony. Mr. PAN Feng, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI and Ms. LI Ruoyu, Programme Officer of the Global Partnership and Programme Office, also participated in the conference. Over 100 teachers, students, and representatives from enterprises in Egypt and the Arab region attended the event.

Group photo of conference participants

The conference, themed "Quality Education in Action: Innovative Pathways toward Educational Excellence", aimed to bring together global educational leaders, researchers, policymakers, and technology experts to explore inclusive, equitable, and high-quality educational innovation strategies.

Prof. JIN Li reviewed the cooperation between UNESCO-ICHEI and Ain Shams University in his remarks. He affirmed the achievements of the IIOE Egypt National Centre in driving higher education digital transformation and teacher empowerment. He also introduced the latest development of the IIOE platform, including the AI + Discipline courses and the localized teacher training programs. Prof. JIN Li expressed his expectation for further cooperation between UNESCO-ICHEI, the IIOE Egypt National Centre, and various Egyptian agencies to advance IIOE training and accreditation and jointly promote the realization of Egypt's Vision 2030.

Video remarks by Prof. JIN Li, Director of UNESCO-ICHEI

Prof. Amr Ezzat Salama, Secretary-General of the Association of Arab Universities, noted that, against the backdrop of global technological acceleration, educational measurement and evaluation have become key tools for enhancing quality and achieving equity. He called for the transformation of these frameworks into practical measures to modernize Arab education systems and align them with the digital age. Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of Ain Shams University, highlighted that education excellence is essential for achieving sustainable development goals. Over the past 75 years, Ain Shams University has been dedicated to enhancing the quality of higher education. He also emphasized the importance of measurement and evaluation in improving educational quality and called for strengthened multilateral cooperation to ensure effective governance of artificial intelligence in education.

Video remarks by Prof. Amr Ezzat Salama, Secretary-General of the Association of Arab Universities	Remarks by Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of Ain Shams University

Prof. Mona Abdel Aal Elzahry, Director of the Education Strategy and Research Centre at Ain Shams University, Secretary General of MESA, and Director of the IIOE Egypt National Centre, delivered a keynote speech on IIOE Quality Assurance Framework 2.0. Developed in 2022 by UNESCO-ICHEI in collaboration with global experts, this upgraded system comprises an 8-component framework and an implementation toolkit. Integrating practical feedback from 13 partner institutions across 9 countries and addressing post-pandemic educational demands, the framework aims to support online and blended teaching and learning to advance digital transformation in higher education. Prof. Mona Abdel Aal Elzahry emphasized the need to adapt the framework to Egypt's context through localization and case studies to enhance Egypt's higher education quality assurance system.

Mr. PAN Feng, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI, delivered a keynote speech titled "Fostering an IIOE Ecosystem for Higher Education Innovation in the AI Era". Focusing on IIOE's key programs in enhancing teachers' digital and AI capabilities, he detailed the IIOE course system and learning paths. Relying on a diverse range of course offerings, including courses on digital competencies for higher education teachers, generative AI courses, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) courses, and enterprise courses, UNESCO-ICHEI is committed to collaborating with IIOE National Centres, partner universities, and international organizations to provide localized and scaled digital and AI skills training for higher education professionals, empowering higher education professionals in Egypt and the Arab region.

Prof. Mona Abdel Aal Elzahry, Director of the IIOE Egypt National Centre, delivering keynote speech	Mr. PAN Feng, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI, delivering keynote speech

During the conference, conference organizers presented awards to the winners of the "IIOE Micro-Certification Excellence Awards" established by the IIOE Egypt National Centre, including Outstanding University, Outstanding Teacher, and Outstanding Student categories. The IIOE Micro-Certification for Higher Education Teaching Personnel offers competency-based, certified training to educators globally, helping them enhance their digital and AI skills. This award recognizes and encourages active participation in the IIOE micro-certification program among members of the IIOE Egypt National Centre network.

Presenting awards to the winners