Lingnan University representatives attend 2026 World Digital Education Conference and discuss digital transformation practices

From 11 to 13 May, Prof Xin Yao, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning of Lingnan University, was at the 2026 World Digital Education Conference in Hangzhou, and visited Zhejiang University (ZJU) to strengthen cooperation and exchanges. This trip was to focus on digital-era higher education transformation and inter-university collaboration, explain Lingnan’s practices with the global education and tech communities, and reach a general agreement with ZJU on their further cooperation.

The 2026 General Assembly of the World Digital Education Alliance (WDEA) was held on the morning of 11 May. As a member of the Alliance, Prof Yao was invited to represent Lingnan University, and he listed their five key practices in AI-empowered educational transformation: rolling out a university-wide AI popularisation initiative to provide free access to advanced generative AI tools for all faculty and students; developing an independent GenAI Assessment System (GAAS) to build a human-in-the-loop teaching evaluation model; establishing the Lingnan HPC NexT, a high-performance centre delivering computing power support for interdisciplinary innovation; restructuring the curriculum, making Generative AI a mandatory core undergraduate course and launching interdisciplinary programmes such as Creative Media Industries and Social Data Science; and upholding humanistic values, cultivating core human competencies such as critical thinking and empathy, and harmonising technological innovation and liberal arts education, all of which were understood and appreciated by the audience.

On 13 May, Prof Yao and the Lingnan delegation visited the Zijingang Campus and were welcomed warmly by Prof Chen Gang, Vice President of ZJU, who described ZJU’s  steadily advancing wide and well-balanced range of basic research and disciplinary strengths, noting that the university prioritises talent development and innovation, fosters a strong entrepreneurial culture among students, and continues to expand international cooperation. He said that ZJU and Lingnan have maintained ties since 2002, successfully exchanging faculty, students, and academic visits, and proposes adopting the "1+1+X" model to expand multilateral cooperation networks, carry out collaborative innovation in fields such as artificial intelligence, and promote bilateral cooperation.

Prof Yao thanked ZJU for their generous hospitality, and described Lingnan’s historical and recent achievements in digital transformation and disciplinary development. He said that as the only research-intensive liberal arts university in Hong Kong, Lingnan is committed to combining the arts and sciences, advancing interdisciplinary integration, and prioritising whole-person education and teaching quality. He also noted that Lingnan is keen to expand practical and international cooperation with ZJU in research platforms and talent development, taking advantage of the Northern Metropolis growth opportunities in Hong Kong to advance industry-university-research cooperation and encourage the innovative progress of higher education.

The two universities held in-depth discussions on AI-empowered education, joint research platforms and alliance building, and reached a broad consensus. The Lingnan delegation then toured ZJU’s Future Learning Center with Prof Wu Fei, Dean of the Undergraduate School, who gave them detailed insights into ZJU’s advanced AI-enabled teaching initiatives and practices.

Mr Xu Yazhou, Deputy Director, Office of Domestic Cooperation, Ms Liu Zhengyi, Deputy Director, Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs, both from ZJU, and Ms Crystal Li Zhuoyu, Senior Administrative Officer, Office of National Engagement from Lingnan were present.