LEAD Academic Network Symposium on Digital Academic Leadership Took Place in Guiling, July 2023

LEAD Academic Network Symposium on Digital Academic Leadership Successfully Held at Guangxi Normal University to Explore the Future of Higher Education in the Digital Era

LEAD Academic Network Digital Academic Leadership Forum was successfully held on July 22, 2023 at the History Hall of Guangxi Normal University, Wangcheng Campus. This significant academic event attracted more than 50 scholars and guests from international organizations, domestic and international universities and institutions to discuss the future development and leadership of higher education in the digital era. The forum contained 10 keynote speeches and 2 roundtable discussions, which received wide attention from the participants.

At the opening ceremony, Prof. dr. Xianxian LI, Vice President of Guangxi Normal University (GXNU), warmly addressed the participants, introducing the basic situation of GXNU and its goals and priorities in education digitization. At the same time, he also introduced in detail the main discussion topics of the conference, which kicked off the forum.

Prof. dr. Chang ZHU, Director of LEAD Academic Network and Director of EU-China Higher Education Research Center at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, introduced to the participants the background of the establishment of LEAD Academic Network and its achievements, and elaborated on the four discussion themes of this Symposium on Digital Academic Leadership: Digital Academic Leadership: The Future of Education, Transformation of Digital Academic Leadership, Digital Academic Leadership: Challenges and Competence Transformation of Teachers, and EU-China Cooperation in Digital Academic Leadership. These themes encompassed cutting-edge trends and challenges in the field of digital academia, and triggered participants to think deeply about the future of digital education.

Mr. Robert Parua, Education Program Officer at UNESCO Regional Office in Beijing, delivered a keynote speech on the future of digital academic leadership, providing insights into the global report, Reimagining Our Futures Together: A New Social Contract for Education, which was released by UNESCO in 2021. He called on the participants to utilize the results of the report and to work together in a synergistic manner. In addition, Mr. Robert Parua reviewed other important reports published by UNESCO on education and emphasized the central role of education in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). His presentation stimulated further reflection and discussion on digital academic leadership among the participants.

The forum also invited experts and scholars from different universities to give keynote speeches and share the latest research results in their respective fields. Prof. dr. Lei YUAN from the Department of Education of Guangxi Normal University introduced the current situation and trend of education digitization in China, emphasizing the important impacts of artificial intelligence, the blurring of the boundaries between online and offline teaching, and the creation of digital content for the masses on current digital education. Prof. dr. Baocun LIU from the Institute of International and Comparative Education, Beijing Normal University shared a study on the construction of a digital literacy framework for Chinese college teachers in an international comparative perspective, detailing the current situation and development trend of Chinese teachers' digital literacy. Prof. dr. Liusheng LIU, Deputy Director of the Department of Education, Yunnan Normal University, introduced the current situation and progress of academic leadership research in universities at home and abroad, focusing on the management system perspective in academic leadership. Associate Prof. dr. Yan WANG, Deputy Director of Development Planning Department of Tongji University, introduced the changes and responses of academic leadership in the digital era, emphasizing the profound impact of digitalization on disciplines, the way universities are organized, the way teachers teach and the way students learn. Prof. dr. Zuwang CHU, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) and Professor of Education Research Institute, shared a study on the current status of digital competence of teachers in Chinese universities and introduced the research results of digital competence in different dimensions. Prof. dr. Rui HU, Deputy Director of Human Resources Department, School of Public Administration, Huazhong Agricultural University (HUAC), delivered a keynote speech on digitally-enabled higher education evaluation, discussing in depth the real needs, benefits, as well as dilemmas and breakthrough paths faced by digital evaluation in higher education. Associate Prof. dr. Zheng CHEN, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Division of the National Academy of Educational Administration, introduced the enhancement of German teachers' competence in the era of digitization and shared the policies and practices of Germany in digital education. Associate Prof. dr. Xin XING from the Faculty of Educational Sciences of Yan'an University analyzed the results of the study on the study experience of leaders of central and western colleges and universities in Germany from the perspective of the Triple Helix Theory and suggested that LEAD Academic Network should play an active role in this regard. Prof. dr. Jin YAN, Executive Director of the Center for European Studies/Centre for China-EU Humanistic Exchange, Renmin University of China, shared the establishment, connotation, institutionalization and challenges of China-EU people-to-people exchange mechanism in the post-COVID era.

The LEAD Academic Network Symposium on Digital Academic Leadership also held a roundtable discussion on "Synergies: You and LEAD Academic Network", which was moderated by Dr. Wenji FAN from the Department of Education of Guangxi Normal University. Participants put forward their views and expectations on the role of LEAD Academic Network in facilitating EU-China cooperation and exchanging international visions. They called for the LEAD Academic Network to promote more people-to-people exchanges with European universities, strengthen exchanges and cooperation among students, organize joint activities, enhance scientific research and project cooperation, and expand the audience of LEAD Academic Network to make the cooperation more influential. Dr. Gaoming ZHENG, Assistant Professor of Tongji University, summarized the roundtable discussion and further explained the significance and role of LEAD Academic Network in light of today's keynote speech.

At the end of the meeting, Prof. dr. Beibei YE, Vice Director of Education of Guangxi Normal University, made a summary speech on the LEAD Academic Network Symposium on Digital Academic Leadership. She emphasized the fruitful results of the symposium and expressed her sincere thanks and blessings to the participants.

The success of LEAD Academic Network Symposium on Digital Academic Leadership has provided a valuable experience exchange platform for the development of higher education in the field of digitalization, and has also built an important bridge to strengthen the exchange and cooperation between China and Europe in higher education. Participants expressed that they would continue to deepen the exchange and cooperation and jointly promote the innovation and development of higher education in the digital era.

LEAD学术联盟数字化学术领导力论坛在桂林召开

7月22日，LEAD学术联盟数字化学术领导力论坛在桂林召开。会议由LEAD Academic Network（LEAD学术联盟）主办，布鲁塞尔自由大学、国家教育行政学院、广西师范大学和云南师范大学共同筹办，广西师范大学教育学部承办。来自联合国教科文组织驻华代表处、布鲁塞尔自由大学、国家教育行政学院、云南师范大学、北京师范大学、同济大学、中国人民大学、中国地质大学（武汉）、华中农业大学、北京航空航天大学、北京教育学院、聊城大学、延安大学、云南工商学院、广西师范大学等相关领域的专家学者参加会议。与会代表们围绕数字化学术领导力变革、教育的未来、教师的挑战与能力转型、中欧合作等4个主题进行了深入交流与探讨。

开幕式上，广西师范大学副校长李先贤教授致欢迎辞。首先，他对与会的各位专家学者表示热烈欢迎和衷心感谢。李教授认为，本次论坛聚焦于“数字化学术领导力”这一议题，立足实践，走在前沿，具有重要的现实意义和时代价值，本次论坛的召开定会在促进联盟成员之间的知识共享、跨界合作等方面发挥积极作用。

布鲁塞尔自由大学朱畅教授对LEAD学术联盟的建立、过去四年中取得的成果做了简要总结，并对本次论坛的设计理念进行了充分阐释。她希望通过LEAD 学术联盟数字化学术领导力论坛的召开，能够进一步加强中欧之间的交流与沟通，并在现有合作平台的基础上进一步加强高等教育学术领导等方面的合作。

论坛主题汇报环节，联合国教科文组织驻华代表处教育项目官员Robert Parua（裴伯庸）做《一起重新构想我们的未来：为教育打造新的社会契约》特邀主旨报告。Robert Parua（裴伯庸）先生详细介绍了联合国教科文组织发布的全球报告，对报告的内容、背景进行了解读，并简要阐释了报告背后的基本理念。广西师范大学教育学部袁磊教授从教学数字化转型阶段、高等教育学技术的三大趋势、两大评价应用等三方面对新型教与学的模式进行了解读；北京师范大学国际与比较教育研究院刘宝存教授从高校教师数字素养的内涵出发，比较分析了国内外高校教师数字素养框架，并对中国高校教师数字素养的框架建构提出了建议。

同济大学发展规划部副部长王雁副教授从教育教学、学科建设、管理治理等三个方面出发，详述了教育数字化面临的挑战；云南师范大学教育学部副部长刘六生教授对学术领导力的内涵进行了分析，并对国内外学术领导力相关研究状况进行了概述；同济大学经济与管理学院陈迅副教授从大学生职业生涯教育的角度切入，阐述了自己对数字化学术领导力：LEAD学术联盟的作用的认识。

中国地质大学（武汉）党委常委、教育研究院储祖旺教授从高校教师数字化能力的概念和纬度出发，分享了高校教师数字化能力的调查结果；华中农业大学公共管理学院人力资源部副部长胡瑞教授分析了数字化赋能高等教育评价的发展样态、现实困境与突破途径；国家教育行政学院国际合作交流处副处长陈正副教授分享了德国数字化国家教育平台的建设经验以及数字化时代下德国教师数字化能力的提升策略。

延安大学邢鑫副教授做《三螺旋理论视域下中西部高校领导赴德国研修体验研究》报告，他指出，新时代中西部高等教育振兴需要持之以恒加强高校领导干部队伍，而LEAD学术联盟可在这方面发挥积极作用；中国人民大学欧洲问题研究中心/中欧人文交流研究中心执行主任闫瑾副教授分享了关于中欧高级别人文交流机制的建立、领域与内涵、机制化对人文交流的意义、后疫情时代的挑战等内容的思考。

在《协力: 你与LEAD联盟中欧合作及国际视野》的圆桌会议环节，与会专家认为，我们应进一步加强中国与欧洲的交流，认真设计与开展中国与欧洲的学生交流活动；互动交流应该实现常态化，合作领域应该更加清晰化。另外，还可以尝试邀请更多的媒体和学术期刊代表参与进来，以进一步提高联盟的学术影响力，更好地树立中国正面形象，讲好中国故事。

同济大学郑高明助理教授对圆桌会议进行了汇报总结。她指出，LEAD联盟的未来一定会成为一个所有成员都可以结合自身优势、自身需求，相互沟通，共同合作，协同推进中欧高校学术领导力发展和中欧高等教育可持续发展的网络和平台。

广西师范大学教育学部副部长叶蓓蓓教授进行总结发言。她进一步强调了LEAD联盟数字化学术领导力论坛举办的深远意义，并对与会嘉宾表达了衷心的感谢和祝福。