China celebrates the International Day of Education 2021

Under the theme “Education equality and sustainable development in the post-pandemic era”, the China Education Association for International Exchange and Beijing Normal University jointly hosted a series of activities to celebrate the International Day of Education 2021, aimed at enhancing the role of education for peace and development, and promoting mutual learning and win-win outcomes through educational exchange and cooperation. 

Vice Minister of Education Tian Xuejun addressed the event with a keynote speech, which explained how China’s education sector fought against the epidemic, and presented China’s experience in working towards the education goals in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The vice minister highlighted how China had succeeded in alleviating poverty through education, based on its four-point initiative: boost confidence and find synergies to realize the sustainable development goals, improve technological innovation to empower the education sector, prepare students to become internationally competitive professionals and enhance cooperation to create a closely connected global educational community.

Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, President of the 74th session of the United Nations, and Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, sent their congratulations and good wishes through a video message, expressing their appreciation for China as the host of the International Education Day, calling upon all countries to strengthen support for education, and emphasizing the importance of international cooperation and partnership.

Attendees to the event included Liu Limin, President of the China Education Association for International Exchange, Dong Qi, President of Beijing Normal University, ambassadors from France, Indonesia and ASEAN-China Centre Center, and representatives from international organizations and foreign embassies in China. Speeches were given by representatives from local education authorities and institutions, and principals and teachers working on the frontline of poverty alleviation through education. Representatives also shared their ideas, experience and innovative measures on how to ensure education equity and sustainable development.