On the morning of 30 October, the plenary session of the 27th CACIE was held in Beijing. Mr. CAI Dafeng, Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China; Professor Dr. Yodchanan Wongsawat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation of Thailand; Professor CHEN Qun, Assistant Director-General for Education of UNESCO; and Mr. REN Youqun, Vice Minister of Education of China, delivered remarks in turn. Mr. TIAN Xuejun, President of the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), chaired the opening ceremony.

The thematic session "China Craftsman Valley · Showcasing Craftsmanship to the World" was hosted by CEAIE and organised by China POCY Group, Beijing Caofeidian International Vocational Education City, Global Skills Academy (Chengdu), Caofeidian College of Technology and Tangshan Maritime Institute. UNESCO-ICHEI, the UNESCO International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (UNESCO INRULED), Pearson Education Group, iFLYTEK, the China-Europe Vocational Education Alliance and the International Industry and Education Alliance of China Craftsman Valley served as co-organisers. More than 100 guests from the education and industry sectors in China and abroad attended. Ms. SUN Aiping, Executive Vice President of China POCY Group; Mr. ZHAO Yuchi, Executive Director of UNESCO INRULED; Ms. ZENG Fang, Secretary-General of the Sichuan Education Association for International Exchange; and Mr. Leigh Howard, Victoria's Commissioner to Greater China, Victorian Government Trade and Investment Office (Australia), delivered remarks in turn.

Under the theme "Opportunities and Challenges in Building a Global Community for Cross-Border High-Skilled Applied Talent Cultivation", Mr. CAO Zian joined panellists from Pearson Education Group, iFLYTEK, the EU Project Innovation Centre and institutions from China and abroad. Drawing on their own practice and observations, the panellists explored pathways and areas of collaboration for cultivating cross-border high-skilled applied talent. Their discussion covered the sharing of international vocational education resources, the alignment of vocational skills standards, the upgrading of talent cultivation amid industrial and technological change, and the implementation of cross-border university-enterprise cooperation.

Mr. CAO Zian noted that cross-border talent cultivation requires all parties to jointly consult on, build and share high-quality international resources, and that such resources can only make a real difference when they are localised in response to local needs. UNESCO-ICHEI is working with China Craftsman Valley institutions, including Tangshan Maritime Institute and Caofeidian College of Technology, to develop "AI+Industry" and "AI+Vocational Skills" micro-certification courses. At the same time, it is delivering localised training through IIOE National Centres and using multi-stakeholder policy dialogue to ensure that the needs and experience of countries in the Global South are reflected as standards are refined.

The session also lauched the "Global Skills Talent Industry-Education Integration Community" project platform. Focusing on study in China, international standards development, mutual recognition of micro-certifications and international teacher training, the platform will build a cross-border talent cultivation service system covering the full chain from enrolment and training to certification and employment.

Looking ahead, UNESCO-ICHEI will work with China POCY Group, drawing on the IIOE Global Partner Network and the resources of China Craftsman Valley institutions, to deepen collaboration in areas such as "AI+Industry" and "AI+Vocational Skills" micro-certification. Together, they will advance the cultivation of cross-border high-skilled applied talent and support the development of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the Global South.