On 12 January 2026, the Inauguration Ceremony of Joint Secretariat for World Digital Education Alliance (WDEA) was held at Beijing Normal University. The event was attended by REN Youqun, Vice Minister of Education of China; LIU Limin, President of the China Education Association for International Exchange; YU Jihong, President of Beijing Normal University and Chairperson of WDEA; YANG Dan, Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of the Ministry of Education; and ZHANG Jin, Deputy Director-General of the same department, among other distinguished guests.

The meeting was chaired by CHEN Xing, Vice President of Beijing Normal University and Co-Secretary General of WDEA. Conducted in a hybrid format combining on-site and online participation, the event brought together over 100 experts and representatives from the WDEA Expert Advisory Committee, the Standardization Committee, and member institutions of the Alliance. 

REN Youqun, Vice Minister of Education of China, noted that the Chinese government is vigorously advancing the National Strategic Action for Digital Education, including the launch of the National Smart Education Platform and the development of a Digital Education Map. These initiatives have generated tangible progress in the application, sharing, and innovation of digital education. He emphasized that members of the Alliance should proactively embrace the transformative trends of education in the digital era and continue to contribute to the building of an innovative, secure, and inclusive global community for the development of digital education.

YU Jihong, President of Beijing Normal University and Chairperson of WDEA, stated that since its establishment, the Alliance has received extensive attention and strong support from the global education community, gradually weaving a globally representative network for digital education cooperation. The establishment of Joint Secretariat, she noted, marks the Alliance’s transition into a new phase characterized by institutionalized operation and professional development. Beijing Normal University will work in close collaboration with the China Education Association for International Exchange to ensure that Joint Secretariat serves as both a bridge and an engine connecting stakeholders, providing Alliance members with a more open, efficient, and practice-oriented platform for cooperation, and contributing to the digital transformation, intelligent upgrading, and green development of education worldwide.

LIU Limin, President of the China Education Association for International Exchange, expressed the hope that the establishment of Joint Secretariat would serve as a new starting point for mobilizing core global strengths—across digital education governance, research, digital infrastructure development, and digital industry transformation—on a broader scale and at a higher level, thereby making new and greater contributions to the advancement of global digital education. As a Joint Secretariat institution, the Association will fully leverage its role as a window and bridge connecting China’s education sector with the world, actively inviting more authoritative institutions in the field of digital education to join the Alliance and continuously expanding its international influence.

YANG Jun, Vice President and Secretary General of China Education Association for International Exchange and Co-Secretary General of WDEA, introduced WDEA Interim Work Progress in 2025 in improving governance, bringing together experts, building platforms, and advancing regional cooperation, and made clear that in 2026 the Alliance will continue to promote key work in areas including organizing the World Digital Education Conference and other related activities, strengthening multilingual communication and international outreach, and deepening resource integration and collaborative innovation among members.

Following the inauguration ceremony, the Certificate Awarding Ceremony of WDEA Expert Advisory Committee was held. YANG Zongkai, Chair of the WDEA Expert Advisory Committee, presided over the WDEA First Expert Advisory Committee Meeting. Nineteen digital education experts from 13 countries and regions, including TANG Qian, Former Assistant Director-General for Education of UNESCO; ZHAN Tao, Director of UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education; and Asha S. Kanwar, Former President of Commonwealth of Learning, held discussions on the Alliance’s development pathways and core work plans, providing strategic guidance for the Alliance to focus on priority tasks and advance pragmatic cooperation.