UNESCO enhances digital capacities of teachers to foster inclusive and equitable education systems in Asia-Pacific – Yurika.R

‘Empowering Tomorrow’s Educators’ attracted more than 220 participants from South-East Asia, a majority from Thailand and the Philippines, the two beneficiary countries of the JFIT project, to date.

Opening remarks were provided by Dr. Leonor Magtolis Briones, Director of SEAMEO INNOTECH, who who emphasized the crucial role of Open Educational Resources (OER) in promoting inclusive and equitable education in the Asia-Pacific region. Highlighting the adaptability of OER to digital transformation, Dr. Briones  underscored how these resources help keep teachers’ skills and knowledge up to date, foster innovation, and support resilient educational systems. Dr. Briones also highlighted the importance of OER in bridging educational disparities and enhancing teachers’ continual professional development.

Dr. Briones’s remarks were followed by presentations by guest speakers Jiao Yanwen and Sit Fung, both of the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI). Jiao Yanwen provided a comprehensive introduction to UNESCO-ICHEI and the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE). He reviewed these organizations’ missions to leverage new technology to empower higher education innovation; their achievements in expanding global partnerships to 38 countries and 12 national centers; their ongoing projects; and their joint research on the digital transformation of higher education.

Sit Fung, who currently leads the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE) Operation Centre at UNESCO-ICHEI, spoke on how the IIOE platform supports educators through AI-powered tools and resources, such as through the IIOE 1+X GenAI Course Series, comprising certification-based courses aligned with the IIOE Higher Education Teaching Personnel Digital Competency Reference Framework, version 1.0. Each IIOE course is designed to provide a personalized knowledge service; in addition, the AI-powered IIOE platform can support a full course of education and training.