Beijing, China, 18th August, 2025 – Zambia is participation at the Global Smart Education Conference 2025 in Beijing, China, to advance the country’s digital education agenda and leverage global innovations that can inform national policy and foster strategic partnerships for infrastructure and teacher training programmes.
The Global Smart Education Conference 2025 is focused on the theme: “Human-Machine Collaboration: Reshaping the Educational Ecosystem for the Future.”
Hon. Douglas Syakalima Minister of Education is participating in the Conference which brings together global leaders to explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital platforms, and smart technologies are reshaping education systems worldwide.
He said while digital education is no longer a luxury but a necessity in the 21st Century, the digital divide continues to persist.
Speaking when he delivered a high – level dialogue speech, Hon. Syakalima observed that the digital divide continues to persist despite digital education no longer being a luxury but a necessity in the 21st Century.
The Minister highlighted that Zambia, like many other Landlocked Developing Countries, only has a fraction of learners with reliable internet access. Hon. Syakalima thereby underscored that the divide between the connected and the disconnected will define not only access to learning but also economic opportunity if there is not targeted intervention in place.
“Today, we meet at a critical juncture where technology has given us unprecedented capacity to connect, create, and collaborate, yet many learners around the world remain on the margins of these opportunities. Our shared task is to ensure that digital education does not widen inequalities, but rather empowers and energises every learner,” The Minister added.
Hon. Syakalima highlighted Zambia’s digital education journey, with the country embedding digital literacy from early childhood through to higher education and emphasized initiatives such as Community Digital Learning Hubs in rural areas.
“Furthermore, teacher professional development in digital pedagogy, low-cost device programmes that bring learning into the hands of the most marginalised, and digital content in local languages aim to ensure that technology serves the country’s cultural and linguistic diversity,” He emphasized.
The Minister also disclosed that digital education should empower by equipping learners with adaptable life skills including problem solving skills, creativity and adaptability, drive innovation using peer to peer learning and entrepreneurship training and climate action projects, as well as ensuring inclusive access for marginalized groups; from girls in under-served regions to adult learners and people with disabilities.
“The most advanced technology requires empowered teachers. We are investing in digital teacher colleges where educators learn to design, curate, and deliver interactive learning with AI-assisted tools helping teachers tailor learning to individual needs,” Mr. Syakalima stated.
Issued by Catherine Muumba Kashoti Second Secretary Communications Beijing, China.