The Global Competition on Design for Futures (GCD4F), initiated by Beijing Normal University (BNU) in 2018 and co-organized with UNESCO IITE, is an annual flagship event of the World Digital Education Alliance. Formerly focused on education, this year’s competition expands its scope to harness the power of design and artificial intelligence (AI) in accelerating progress across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Under the framework of the UN International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024-2033), GCD4F 2026 calls on students worldwide to become architects of change. The competition invites interdisciplinary teams of 3-5 members to develop innovative, human-centred solutions within three core themes: AI for Science, AI for Education, and AI for Society.
Guided by principles of diversity, regional representation, and responsible AI involvement, participants will engage in a three-phase journey from January to August / December 2026, depending on the track (K-12, Vocational, University). Submissions will be evaluated by an international jury on criteria including problem awareness, innovation spirit, technology for good, application prospect, presentation and expression.
Finalists will gain international recognition, with opportunities for publication by Springer, mentorship, and inclusion in the UNESCO IITE E-Library.
There are no participation fees.
Promotional Video for the Higher Education Track
- Higher Education Track:
1) Initial Phase
· Online Registration and Team Building: January 15th – April 30th, 18:00, 2026 (UTC+8)
· Work Submission: April 30th – May 31st, 18:00, 2026 (UTC+8)
2) Regional Finals Phase: June – July, 2026
3) Global Finals Phase: October, 2026
2. K12 Track
1) Online Registration and Work Submission: March 1st – May 31st, 18:00, 2026 (UTC+8)
2) Pre-finals and Global Finals: July – August, 2026
3. Vocational Education Track:
1) Online Registration and Work Submission: September 1st – October 31st, 18:00, 2026 (UTC+8)
2) Pre-finals and Global Finals: November – December, 2026
Notes: Please refer to the competition official website for the detailed schedule.
How to Participate:
University students are invited to register, form teams, and submit their initial proposals by 30 April 2026; for K-12 students the deadline is May 31st; for Vocational education students the deadline is October 31st, 2026.
For detailed guidelines and timelines, please visit the official competition website http://gcd4fe.bnu.edu.cn/en
For any further inquiries, please contact d4fe@bnu.edu.cn