An international conference on online education and massive open online courses (MOOC) opened in London on Thursday, drawing hundreds of educational professionals from across the globe to discuss the transformative potential of online learning and artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping the future of higher education.
Themed "Reimagining the Future of Higher Education in the Intelligence Era," the two-day 2024 Global MOOC and Online Education Conference (GMC), co-organized by World MOOC and Online Education Alliance and UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education, invited educators, experts and policymakers from 135 universities, online education platforms, international organizations and government agencies across 28 countries and regions shared their insights.
Apart from rolling out the concept of "Year of Smart Education" for the first time, the GMC this year also saw the publication of two reports on the digital development of global higher education, highlighting how AI is accelerating the onset of a new era in smart education.
"The most important highlight of the reports is the proposal of the 'Year of Smart Education' concept. The educational scenario is no longer just between teachers and students. With the introduction of machines, a third role has entered, introducing such a scenario that features teachers, machines, and students. This is a change. So, we think that in the future, personalized education at scale is what the AI era may create to at last promote the comprehensive and personalized free development of individuals," said Yang Zongkai, president of the Wuhan University of Technology, and also, an attendee of the conference.
Launched and led by China, the World MOOC and Online Education Alliance is the first international multilateral organization in the field of higher education digitalization. Comprising 16 world-leading universities and seven online education institutions from 16 countries across six continents, the alliance has become a pivotal platform for countries to share quality resources, exchange development experiences, and build international consensus.
With the adoption of advanced AI technology, MOOC has been providing learners with more personalized and intelligent learning experiences, including intelligent recommendation systems that suggest suitable courses and resources to learners, as well as virtual reality technologies that offer immersive learning environments.
Int'l online education conference explores AI's role in future higher education
Int'l online education conference explores AI's role in future higher education
Foreign diplomats and scholars are looking closely at this year's "two sessions", saying China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) will not only chart the nation's economic and technological priorities but also reshape global value chains.
The fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the nation's top political advisory body, opened on Wednesday, followed by the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday. Together known as the "two sessions," these meetings offer a comprehensive view into China's development priorities.
Global observers emphasized that the 15th Five-Year Plan, a blueprint guiding the nation's economic, social, and technological priorities over the next five years, marks a decisive shift toward high‑quality growth anchored in advanced technologies, with ripple effects across the world.
"The two sessions will discuss China's five-year plan, which is heavily oriented toward China's major technological development. I believe this is important because it represents the new blueprint for China's economy, which is now oriented toward the renowned high-quality development, and this will undoubtedly impact the entire world. I think it is worth studying. This is very important for Latin America. It will help us integrate more intelligently into global value chains and into all aspects of the major development that China is promoting in iconic industrial sectors, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and space development, where Latin America also has much to contribute beyond just commercial growth," said Gustavo Sabino Vaca Narvaja, former Argentine Ambassador to China.
"The two sessions are a major political milestone in China, and this year's gathering carries even greater significance as this year marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan. This plan represents not only a blueprint for China, but also a guide for other countries. Instruments like the five-year plan effectively provide greater certainty and predictability for the rest of the world," said Chilean scholar of international relations Ignacio Araya Heredia.
"This is a particularly important date, especially due to the fact that the next Five-Year Plan shall be positioned and we're going to see what its main elements shall be. Serbia, which has a very high degree of steel friendship with the People's Republic of China, can expect further assistance in identifying the most prominent areas of Serbian economy and being helped by its great partner, such as it has been done in the previous period, from one part with establishing the main infrastructure projects, but also reshaping the industrial sector of Serbia, not just Serbia, but the region as a whole," said Veljko Mijuskovic, assistant professor of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Belgrade.
Beyond the policy framework, experts also pointed to China's achievements in green energy and technological innovation as models worth emulating.
Tomasz Bielinski, adjunct professor at the University of Gdansk's Faculty of Economics, said the robotics displays at the 2026 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala reflected China's broader push in technological innovation.
"I was really impressed about the robotics. I'm very impressed with Chinese development in the technological field, we can still make great deals with Chinese businessmen and we can cooperate together to use this technology for both the good of China and the European Union. I'm aware of the innovation especially in autonomous drive on the on the Chinese side," he said.
"We hope for more of China's economic cooperation, especially in trade and also in investment. Also, and the other focus, if I talk about the focus of the development, don't forget about the green energy. We know that China is great in the electric vehicle field. So because China's electric vehicles in Indonesia nowadays, since couple of years ago, are very, very popular," said Al Busyra Basnur, president of the Indonesia-China Friendship Association.
Observers see China's new five-year plan driving high-quality development, global tech shifts
