This book presents the first part of the key contributions at the Global Smart Education Conference 2024. It offers an in-depth exploration of the key dimensions of digital transformation in education while integrating global experiences with China’s local innovative practices. The content spans international policy analysis, teacher development, student support, and the application of emerging technologies in education. By synthesizing research with exemplary practices, this book presents a systematic, multi-dimensional, and cross-perspective view of how digitalization is reshaping the global educational landscape, with particular attention on China’s pioneering efforts in developing smart and inclusive education systems. It not only outlines strategic directions and implementation pathways for educational reform in the digital era, but also examines how artificial intelligence, big data, and virtual learning environments can empower teaching, enhance learning outcomes, and promote educational equity. This book provides policymakers, educators, and researchers with both theoretical insights and practical guidance, supporting the development of a global digital education ecosystem.

Readers who wish to learn more about this topic can refer to 'Technology Advances in the Smart Education Ecosystem: Insights from the Global Smart Education Conference 2024–Volume 2'.

Dr. Dejian Liu is the Founder and Chairman of NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited, and serves as Co-Dean of the Smart Learning Institute and the National Engineering Research Center for Big Data Application in Education at Beijing Normal University, China. He is a member of the Governing Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE), and is widely regarded as a leader in the field of smart education innovation. As a contributor to China’s National Smart Education Platform, Dr. Liu has driven technological innovations aimed at enhancing educational equity. He has played a pivotal role in global education initiatives under UNESCO and the Belt and Road Initiative, with impact across Africa, the Middle East, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regions. Through NetDragon’s education technologies, his work now supports over 1.3 million classrooms in more than 150 countries. Dr. Liu and his team hold over 1,400 patents and have authored 17 books and more than 30 academic papers.

Professor Asha Singh Kanwar is the Chair of the Governing Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE), Chair Professor at the Smart Learning Institute of Beijing Normal University (China), and also chairs the Advisory Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) Academy. Previously, she served as the President and CEO of the Commonwealth of Learning. As a globally recognized leader in learning for sustainable development, her research focuses on open educational resources (OER), open and distance learning, and smart education. She has received the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) Prize of Excellence and the Meritorious Service Award from the Asian Association of Open Universities for her outstanding contributions to open and distance education.

Yingjie Liu is a Ph.D. student of the College of Education at Capital Normal University, China. Her main research interests include smart education and artificial intelligence applications in education.

Dr. Ting-Wen Chang is an Associate Research Fellow, Director of the International Cooperation Center, and Assistant to the Dean at the Smart Learning Institute of Beijing Normal University (SLIBNU), China. Since 2014, he has been dedicated to advancing smart learning research and fostering international collaboration. He has worked closely with a wide range of global experts and institutions, and has collaborated with organizations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE), UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) to co-organize international conferences and jointly develop research and policy reports on educational innovation and digital transformation. His research interests include adaptive learning, user modeling, multimedia instruction, and personalized learning environments. He has published over 40 refereed journal articles, book chapters, and conference papers, and has received several academic awards, including the IEEE TCLT Young Researcher Award.

Dr. Haijun Zeng is the Vice Dean of the Smart Learning Institute of Beijing Normal University (China), the Deputy Director of the Educational Informatization Strategy Research Base (Beijing) of the Ministry of Education, and the Deputy Director of the National Engineering Research Center of Cyberlearning and Intelligent Technology. His main research interests are online education and Digital Learning Support (DLS) service systems.