Focusing on Smart Education and AI Innovation

The 8th International Conference on Smart Learning Environments (ICSLE 2024) and the 2nd Arab International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIC-AIE 2024) officially opened on October 28, 2024, in a three-day international event that gathered global experts from education and technology sectors to explore cutting-edge applications and innovations in smart education and artificial intelligence.

The opening ceremony of ICSLE 2024 featured a keynote speech by Prof. Dejian Liu, Co-Dean of the Smart Learning Institute of Beijing Normal University (SLIBNU) and ICSLE 2024 Co-Chair, who shared profound insights into the future development of smart education and AI. Distinguished guests included Prof. Slim Edriss, President of the University of Tunis; Prof. Imed Jabri, Director of the LaTICE Research Laboratory; and Prof. Mohamed Jemni, Director of the Information and Communication Technology Department at the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), who represented ALECSO Director-General H.E. Prof. Mohamed Ould Amar.

Keynote speeches were delivered by prominent scholars such as Prof. Ronghuai Huang, Co-Dean of SLIBNU; Prof. Daniel Burgos, Director of the UNIR iTED Institute in Spain; and Prof. Yanyan Li, Vice Dean of SLIBNU. They delved into global advancements in smart education and innovative applications of AI in teaching and learning. A total of 28 international academic papers were accepted at ICSLE 2024, which will be published in Springer’s Lecture Notes in Educational Technology (LNET) series and indexed by Scopus, providing significant references for global research in smart education and AI. The conference also hosted ministerial-level discussions on regional educational collaboration and development opportunities, fostering in-depth exchanges with representatives from Arab organizations.

AIGC-Enabled Human-AI Collaborative Teaching Workshop

On the afternoon of October 29, the “AIGC-Enabled Human-AI Collaborative Teaching Workshop,” co-organized by SLIBNU and ALECSO, took place. This workshop, held overseas for the first time, combined theoretical knowledge with practical applications. Topics included expert lectures, an overview of large language models (LLMs), practical implementations of LLMs in teaching scenarios, case studies of AI Agents, and hands-on exercises. Chaired by Mr. Dingwen Zhang, Assistant Dean of SLIBNU, the workshop featured a lecture by Prof. Yanyan Li on Navigating the AIGC Landscape: Teacher Transformation in Education, which offered critical perspectives on educators’ roles in the AIGC era. Dr. Ting Da, a postdoctoral researcher at Beijing Normal University, guided participants through practical applications of AI Agents in classrooms. The event attracted over 30 Tunisian primary and secondary school teachers, university faculty, and industry leaders, facilitating cross-border exchanges on AI-driven teaching practices and showcasing China’s expertise in AI Agent applications.

The joint conferences have injected new momentum into international collaboration and innovation in smart education and AI. ICSLE 2024 and AIC-AIE 2024 aim to pave the way for a smarter and more diverse future in global education.