On 5 June 2026, the AI Accelerating Education Transformation Summit was held in Shenzhen, China, during the Closing & Awards Ceremony of the 10th Huawei ICT Competition Global Final. The Summit brought together more than 200 participants from education institutions, industry, international organisations and media to discuss the role of AI in driving educational transformation and talent development, and to share leading practices in industry-academia collaboration.
In a keynote session, Dr. Shafika Isaacs, Interim Director of UNESCO IITE, delivered a presentation “Sharpening Minds in the Human-Machine Era”. She noted that artificial intelligence is reshaping education across all dimensions, but growing investments in technological infrastructure have not always been accompanied by sufficient funding for building human capabilities. Cultivating human agency has become a critical competency aspect in the AI era. To address this, UNESCO has rooted its strategy in human-centered development and launched AI competency frameworks for both teachers and students. Focused on ethics, technology application, critical thinking, and AI system design, these frameworks offer practical guidance for implementing digital education initiatives globally.
Dr. Isaacs also participated in the panel discussion “Navigating the Future: AI Drives Global Education to Transform and Innovate”, where experts shared insights and exchanged perspectives on the digital transformation and innovation of higher education worldwide. During the Summit, UNESCO IITE in partnership with Huawei released a series of Insight Reports with Recommendations on ICT Skills Development. The reports were developed within the joint project “AI Capacity Building in Arabic-Speaking Countries and Promoting ICT Education in Central Asia”.
In addition, Huawei ICT Academy AI Course Solution and digital courses were jointly introduced at the event. The resources aim to help universities strengthen ICT curricula, embed real-world technologies and industry projects into learning environments, and develop AI talent at scale. By giving students access to up-to-date knowledge and practical insights, and by equipping instructors with standardized teaching resources, Huawei helps universities improve overall teaching quality. The initiatives also support the creation of a global ICT talent ecosystem, supplying the skilled professionals needed for the digital industry’s sustained growth.
Participants of the Summit examined the industry’s current landscape and emerging trends, and explored practical case studies in AI talent development within higher education, generating valuable insights and benchmarks for future talent cultivation.