Within the framework of the activities of the Global Smart Education Conference 2026 (Global Smart Education Conference – GSE 2026), held in the Chinese capital Beijing from 18 to 20 August 2026, the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), in cooperation with Beijing Normal University (BNU), and with the participation of Millennium@EDU as a co-organizer, organized a high-level session entitled:

“AI for Inclusive and Sustainable Education: High-level Dialogue on Capacity Building, Equity and Special Needs”

«Artificial Intelligence for Inclusive and Sustainable Education: High-level Dialogue on Capacity Building, Equity and Special Needs».

The session brought together a select group of experts, officials and representatives of international and academic institutions and organizations, with the aim of discussing the ways capable of employing artificial intelligence in developing more inclusive, equitable and sustainable educational systems, while giving special importance to capacity building, narrowing digital and educational gaps, and enhancing learning opportunities for persons with disabilities and special educational needs.

Professor Mohamed Jemni, Director of the Information and Communication Technology Department at ALECSO, opened the session with a speech in which he began by conveying the greetings of His Excellency Professor Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, to all participants, affirming the importance of this session in enhancing dialogue and international cooperation on the responsible and inclusive use of artificial intelligence in education.

Dr. Jemni pointed out that the accelerating development of artificial intelligence provides unprecedented opportunities to improve the quality of education, personalize learning paths, and develop tools and solutions more capable of responding to the diverse needs of learners; however, benefiting from these opportunities remains linked to the extent of the ability of states and institutions to ensure equitable access to technology and to build the capacities necessary to use it responsibly and effectively.

He affirmed that artificial intelligence should not turn into a new factor for deepening the digital and educational gap between states and societies, but rather must enhance international cooperation, digital solidarity, and the exchange of knowledge, expertise and technology transfer, in a way that ensures that developing countries and the most vulnerable groups benefit from the accelerating transformations that the education sector is witnessing.

He also highlighted the important role that artificial intelligence technologies can play in enhancing inclusive education and making learning available to persons with disabilities and special educational needs, through developing more flexible, personalized and accessible educational solutions, affirming the necessity that the human being, their rights, dignity and needs remain at the core of the digital transformation process and the employment of artificial intelligence in education.

This session falls within the cooperation between ALECSO and Beijing Normal University in the fields of smart education, artificial intelligence and digital transformation, and within the framework of the two parties' keenness to strengthen the bridges of scientific and knowledge cooperation between the Arab States and China, exchange expertise and successful experiences, and develop joint initiatives and projects in these fields.

This cooperation is also embodied in the Arab Region–China Joint Laboratory on Artificial Intelligence in Special Education, an initiative led by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) in partnership with Beijing Normal University, Kuwait College of Science and Technology, and Millennium@EDU Sustainable Education, and with the participation of the Research Laboratory in Information and Communication Technologies and Electrical Engineering at the University of Tunis, and the Nazra wa Ishara Foundation supporting deaf persons.

This initiative aims to establish a joint platform for research, development, innovation and capacity building in the field of employing artificial intelligence in special education and inclusive education, and developing smart, inclusive, reliable and human-centered solutions, in a way that contributes to improving learning opportunities and access to knowledge for persons with disabilities and special educational needs, and enhancing the exchange of knowledge and expertise and research cooperation between the Arab, Chinese and international partner institutions.

The initiative has received important international recognition, as it was accepted and published among the initiatives listed on the United Nations AI Dialogue Partnerships Hub, within the framework of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, reflecting the importance of this Arab–Chinese and international cooperation as a model for employing artificial intelligence in a responsible and inclusive manner to serve education and sustainable development, particularly for the benefit of persons with disabilities and special educational needs.

The session was an opportunity to exchange visions, experiences and expertise on capacity building and developing policies and practices capable of achieving optimal benefit from artificial intelligence in education, while affirming the importance of combining technological innovation, equity, responsibility and inclusion when designing the future of educational systems.

This session and its associated initiatives reflect ALECSO's orientation towards expanding its Arab and international partnerships and enhancing cooperation with leading institutions in the fields of education, artificial intelligence and technology, and building sustainable platforms for dialogue and the exchange of knowledge and expertise, in a way that contributes to achieving good, equitable and inclusive education available to all.