The meeting was moderated by Mr. CAO Zian, Chief of the Global Partnership and Programme Office, UNESCO-ICHEI. In his opening remarks, Professor JIN Li, Director of UNESCO-ICHEI, emphasised that in 2025, thanks to the joint efforts of global partners, IIOE achieved significant progress in areas such as partnership building, course co-development, localised training, and industry–academia cooperation. Looking ahead to 2026, IIOE will continue to expand its partner network, deepen the integration of industry and academia, with a focus on implementing micro-certification programmes such as "AI+Cross-Border E-Commerce" to empower future-oriented talent development. 

Professor Ali Muktiyanto, Rector of Universitas Terbuka and the Chairperson of the ICE-I, stressed that IIOE provides a valuable multilateral cooperation platform, which has effectively promoted experience sharing and resource exchange among IIOE members, and played a key role in advancing equity in education and the digital transformation of higher education.

During the meeting, the rotation of IIOE Rotating Presidency Unit was conducted, Mulungushi University, Zambia will serve as the 2026 IIOE Rotating Presidency Unit. Dr. Rahayu Dwi Riyanti, representing the 2025 IIOE Rotating Presidency Unit, serving as the Director of the ICE-I and IIOE Indonesia National Centre, delivered remarks. She stated that in 2025, the ICE Institute focused on IIOE micro-certification training, providing digital and AI capacity-building programmes for higher education faculty in Indonesia and among IIOE members. Additionally, efforts were actively made to integrate IIOE micro-certification training for educators into the national professional development framework, aiming to establish a sustainable, long-term mechanism. She expressed her continued interest to deepen collaboration with IIOE partners, further strengthen the quality assurance and learning recognition mechanism for IIOE micro-certification programme, and co-develop a flexible, inclusive, and sustainable localised empowerment model.

Professor Royson M. Mukwena, representative of the 2026 IIOE Rotating Presidency Unit and the Vice Chancellor of Mulungushi University, Zambia, emphasized that multilateral cooperation is a key driver for promoting the digital transformation of global higher education and reforming current talent cultivation models. As the newly appointed IIOE Rotating Presidency Unit, Mulungushi University is committed to strengthening the multilateral coordination mechanism under the IIOE framework, deepening South-South cooperation and industry-academia collaboration. By breaking down geographical and resource barriers, the university aims to facilitate the co-construction and sharing of high-quality cutting-edge resources among IIOE partners, thereby bridging the digital divide in the context of AI-driven educational transformation.

During the meeting, UNESCO-ICHEI, in collaboration with the China Association of Trade in Services, launched the "AI+Cross-Border E-Commerce" Micro-Certification Programme. Against the backdrop of the rapid development of the global digital economy, this programme addresses the growing demand for interdisciplinary, digitally-competent talent in the cross-border e-commerce sector. The programme establishes a tiered curriculum system targeting leadership teams, faculty, and students in higher education and vocational institutions, aiming to enhance the alignment between localised talent supply and industry demands, through a systematic talent cultivation mechanism.

Professor Habibah Ab Jalil, Director of the IIOE Malaysia National Centre, outlined the framework and development plans for the "Agricultural Technology" micro-certification courses, which will be jointly launched by Universiti Putra Malaysia and UNESCO-ICHEI. The programme is designed to drive the digital and intelligent transformation of agricultural education and empower sustainable development in the agricultural sector.

Professor LI Ming, Secretary-General of the IIOE Secretariat, highlighted that the remarkable achievements of IIOE are attributed to its consistent alignment with technological advancements and application trends. By relying on expert resources and leveraging its global partnership network, IIOE has continuously promoted the integration of AI and higher education through localised exploration and multilateral collaboration. In the coming phase, IIOE's efforts will be anchored in critical fields, including "AI + Disciplines" and "AI + Industries", as it seeks to pioneer innovative talent cultivation models that bridging industry and academia.

Professor LI Ming, Secretary-General of the IIOE Secretariat, delivered closing remarks

In 2025, the IIOE global partner network continued to thrive, it now spans 47 countries, bringing together more than 150 higher education institutions and 40 enterprises. Across Asia, Africa, Middle East, and Central and Eastern Europe, IIOE has established 15 National Centres, 2 Training Centres, and the Arab Regional Centre, forming a diverse and interconnected global alliance for higher education digital transformation.

The IIOE online learning platform (www.iioe.org) underwent continuous iteration and enhancement. In 2025, IIOE reached an important milestone with the integration of DeepSeek large language model, establishing a multilingual, modular, and intelligent system. Leveraging the dual-driven approach that integrates partner demand and course characteristics, the IIOE platform launched a total of 57 micro-certification courses in 2025, including 4 major categories: Digital Competencies for Higher Education Educators, Generative AI Application, "AI + Disciplines", and "AI + Industry". These courses have collectively empowered over 10,000 university teachers. Additionally, through its National Centres and partner institutions, IIOE has organised localised training with policy support, promoting the scaled, systematic, and institutionalised development of digital and AI capacity-building programmes for higher education faculty.

Since 2024, UNESCO-ICHEI, in collaboration with multiple stakeholders including IIOE National Centres, partner institutions, higher education authorities, and international organisations, have organised 4 Regional High-Level Policy Dialogues in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa, and East Asia. These efforts have established a long-term mechanism for multi-stakeholder policy dialogue and exchange, supporting relevant institutions across countries in formulating appropriate and effective policies and development strategies for the application of AI in higher education.

Concurrently, IIOE actively promotes industry–academia collaboration and technological innovation by fostering an ecosystem for the integration of industry and higher education. Initiatives were implemented, such as the establishment of smart classrooms (already implemented in 17 countries across Asia and Africa), provision of software and hardware equipment, and the development of cutting-edge industry-oriented courses. In 2025, IIOE continued to advance joint research and knowledge production, 4 regional research reports on the digital transformation of higher education were developed, alongside the publication of 4 issues of CLOUD, UNESCO-ICHEI's flagship magazine, which strengthened intellectual support and evidence-based decision-making for higher education development. The BGI Group · 2025 IIOE Higher Education Digitalisation Pioneer Case Award selected and recognised 22 higher education digital transformation cases that were rooted in local needs and showcased vibrant vitality, aiming to incentivise practical innovation and accelerate experience sharing.

Looking ahead to 2026, IIOE will systematically develop a forward-looking "AI+" micro-certification curriculum framework and support the pilot implementation of micro-certification programmes such as "AI+Cross-Border E-Commerce," aiming to cultivate local talent that meets industry development needs. At the same time, IIOE will continue to advance the “Women leading change: Future higher education professionals and leadership in the AI era” initiative, jointly launched with UNESCO’s Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE), to enhance the AI literacy and leadership of female higher education faculty in Africa.

Furthermore, IIOE will further enhance the operational mechanisms of its National Centres, Training Centres, and the Arab Regional Centre. By organising Regional High-Level Policy Dialogues in regions such as South Asia, Latin America, and Southern Africa, IIOE will integrate resources, disseminate innovative ideas, and promote the formation of multilateral cooperation initiatives. Additionally, IIOE plans to release influential standards and guidelines in 2026, including the Guidelines on Smart Classroom Development and the GenAI-Responsive Competency Framework for University Teachers, driving the digital and intelligent transformation of global higher education while contributing actionable pathways for achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 and the Education 2030 Agenda.