Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng attended and delivered remarks at the Education Ministers’ Meeting held during the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on October 31.

Speaking at a high-level panel themed “Skills for a Sustainable Future,” Huai outlined China’s approach to advancing education in support of sustainable development. He reviewed national efforts to promote equitable access, lifelong learning and innovation, and teacher development. Huai noted that China has built an inclusive basic education system integrating science, technology and the humanities to ensure fair and quality education opportunities for all students. He also shared updates on reforms that align education with social needs and labour market demand through vocational and higher education, as well as initiatives to strengthen teacher training. He said China now has more than 200 normal universities and nearly 600 other institutions, supporting a professional teaching workforce of about 18.85 million.

Huai reaffirmed China’s readiness to continue cooperation with UNESCO in key areas, such as STEM education, digital education, vocational education and teacher training, contributing to the global advancement of education.

In the regional experience-sharing session, Huai spoke on behalf of the Asia-Pacific region, presenting China’s practices in digital education. He described ongoing national initiatives to digitalize education and leverage artificial intelligence to expand access to high-quality digital resources and enhance the capacities of teachers and learners.

The meeting was a key event under the Education Commission of the 43rd UNESCO General Conference. Attendants included Commission Chair Ms Paula Alves de Souza, Permanent Delegate of Brazil to UNESCO, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini, and education ministers from 34 member states.