Vice Minister of Education Wang Guangyan addressed three parallel forums at the 2026 World Digital Education Conference in Hangzhou on May 12. He delivered remarks on “Preparing Teachers for Schools of the Future,” “Digital Intelligent Empowerment for a Ubiquitous and Accessible Lifelong Education System,” and “Intelligent Transformation, Global Collaboration, and Ethical Governance: Empowering the Future of Education Through Global Corporate Partnerships.”

Wang noted that artificial intelligence (AI) is shaping the global education landscape at an unprecedented scale, depth, and speed. He said that no matter how technology evolves, the ultimate goal of education will always be talent cultivation. He stressed the importance of a professional and high-caliber teacher workforce. In addition, he underscored the need to build an open, inclusive, and collaborative network for teacher empowerment, with a view to helping teachers navigate the new pedagogical paradigm featuring human–AI interaction.

Wang said that China has intensified its efforts to develop digital universities. He expressed China’s willingness to work with other countries to build an AI-driven global resource network for lifelong learning and to facilitate the establishment of an international framework for mutual recognition of qualifications.

Wang said that China regards digital transformation as a driving force for reshaping the education sector. He emphasized the role of corporations in innovation and the commercialization of research. He also said that China encourages enterprises to cooperate with universities and research institutes in facilitating AI-powered education.