On November 10, 2024, UNESCO-ICHEI attended the 8th Meeting of UNESCO Category II Centres in Education, which was convened in Shanghai, China. Themed "Together, We Can Make a Change", this meeting was hosted by the Teacher Education Centre under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-TEC). Its purpose was to enhance communication and information sharing among various UNESCO Category II Centres in Education worldwide and to explore potential cooperation opportunities, thus contributing to the realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) 'Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all'. UNESCO Category II Centres from five countries participated in this event. In addition to UNESCO-ICHEI, attendees included the International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (China), the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (Republic of Korea), the Regional Centre of Quality and Excellence in Education (Saudi Arabia), the Regional Centre for Educational Planning (United Arab Emirates), and the Institute of Early Childhood Development (Seychelles).

Ms. GE Siying, Deputy Secretary-General of the Secretariat of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO (Chinese NatCom), Dr. Carlos VARGAS, Chief of the Section for Teacher Development and Head of the Secretariat of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2023 at UNESCO Headquarters, and Prof. ZHANG Minxuan, Director of UNESCO-TEC, delivered opening remarks. In her speech, Ms. GE reviewed the historical background of the establishment of the meeting of UNESCO Category II Centres in Education and affirmed their significant roles in supporting UNESCO in achieving its educational goals, particularly SDG4. Dr. VARGAS pointed out that equity and inclusion in education, as well as education financing, are current global challenges that need the collaboration of all stakeholders, including UNESCO Category II Centres, to establish a synergistic mechanism for promoting sustainable development in global education. Prof. ZHANG expressed his anticipation for practical cooperation with other Category II Centres in the education sector under the guidance and support of the NatCom and UNESCO Headquarters. Subsequently, each participating Category II Centre shared their progress in key project areas, along with future workplans.

Ms. GE Siying, Deputy Secretary-General of the Secretariat of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, delivered opening remarks (online)

Dr. Carlos VARGAS, Chief of the Section for Teacher Development and Head of the Secretariat of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2023 at UNESCO Headquarters, delivered opening remarks

Prof. ZHANG Minxuan, Director of UNESCO-TEC, delivered opening remarks

Mr. XU Mingshun, Chief (a.i.) of the Administrative Affairs Office of UNESCO-ICHEI, delivered a presentation on the current key undertakings, including the construction of the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE) global partner network and the IIOE National Centre mechanism, the IIOE Micro-certification Project for Higher Education Workforce Digital Competency Building, a series of high-level regional policy dialogue, the Smart Classroom Project, the Pioneer Case Award, joint research, and CLOUD. He stated that in 2025, UNESCO-ICHEI will continue to integrate resources from the IIOE partner network, carry out customized and localized project cooperation, support the upskilling and reskilling of the higher education workforce, and build a platform for regional and international exchange dialogues.

Introduction to the Key Work of UNESCO-ICHEI in 2024 and the workplan for 2025

All parties involved have reached a consensus on establishing a regular mechanism for information sharing and communication, fully leveraging the network and resource advantages of each Category II centre, and carrying out practical cooperation for teachers to accelerate the achievement of SDG4.