China will build a national big data center for digital education to promote the integration of information technology and education, according to a press conference held in Shanghai by the Ministry of Education on Jan 26.

Zhou Dawang, director of the Department of Science, Technology and Informatization under the Ministry of Education, said at the press conference that the center is a key project for China's digital education development.

The center will consist of several platforms for data governance, algorithm empowerment, and shared computing power, Zhou said, adding that it will enhance the development and utilization of educational resources, improve public services, monitor application platforms, conduct comprehensive research and analysis, and ensure data security.

Zhou also said that the ministry will advance the selection and integration of high-quality educational resources and tools and establish a diverse and participatory application ecosystem on the Smart Education of China platform.

The platform, which integrates resources and tools developed by local governments, schools, and enterprises, will be applied in primary and secondary schools and incorporated into the work assessments of teachers and administrators, he added.

Moreover, Zhou said that China will continue to host international events on digital education, such as the World Digital Education Conference, the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education, and the Global MOOC and Online Education Conference.

He said that China will expand the international influence of the MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) platform by offering global open courses, establishing globally integrated classrooms, and conducting international credit and degree recognition.

China will also promote the co-establishment of a digital education cooperation mechanism with BRICS countries and participate in UNICEF's global digital learning portal project, he added.

Zhou noted that the Ministry of Education will prioritize the implementation of the national big data center for digital education and use the Smart Education of China platform as the foundation to embark on a path of integrated, intelligent, and internationalized education.

Source: edu.people.com.cn