Photo: VCG

China and ASEAN countries have established a digital education alliance to boost digital transformation of education, as the 2023 China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week kicked off on Tuesday in Gui'an New Area, Southwest China's Guizhou Province.

The new alliance witnessed the participation of 60 international education institutions, from countries such as Malaysia and Singapore.

"Our vision is to build a comprehensive transnational digital education service platform and cooperation network to help learners lower their educational costs and gain lifetime learning opportunities," said Wang Qiming, president of Open University of China.

Initiated in 2008, the Education Cooperation Week has now evolved into a high level platform that has made robust contributions to China-ASEAN relations in terms of education.

"This is a grand event bringing together the common vision of strengthening exchanges and cooperation between China and ASEAN," J.Prospero Devera III, chairman of the Commission on Higher Education in Philippines, told the Global Times.

"It is hoped that through deepening educational cooperation such as digital education, it will promote the common prosperity and development of China and ASEAN, and create a brighter future for the people of both sides," Devera added.

The event, themed "New Vision for Education Cooperation, Common Prosperity for the Belt and Road," will include 122 activities throughout the course of the year, with 65 of them taking place during the inaugural period.

These initiatives and activities aim to develop deeper interactions and enhance practical cooperation between China and ASEAN nations by emphasizing novel forms, project-based methods, variety and partnership.

The opening ceremony on Tuesday was unveiled by a keynote speech from China's Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng, and witnessed the attendance of officials as education representatives from countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam and Laos.

"Education is an indispensable part in building a community with a shared future for China-ASEAN relations, and it is also an important engine to boost mutual prosperous development for both China and ASEAN countries," Huai said, adding that China and ASEAN countries have worked together to promote education exchanges and cooperation and have achieved positive results. 

China is willing to work hand in hand with ASEAN countries in a fully supportive, leading and connecting role in education to provide solid talent and innovative support for the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative with high-quality educational development, Huai said. It is also expected that people-to-people and cultural exchanges will serve as the basis to build a road of prosperity, innovation and friendship to enhance the cooperation of China and ASEAN countries.

During the cooperation week, activities such as young people art exhibitions, education forums and robot competitions will also be held. More than 50 memorandums of cooperation will be achieved by the time the event comes to an end.