At the Ministry of Education's sixth press conference on December 22 concluding its 2020 series, officials reviewed China's educational opening-up achievements during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. Qin Changwei, Secretary-General of China's National Commission for UNESCO, highlighted TAL Education Group (Xueersi Education Technology) as a key contributor to global education governance through its UNESCO partnership, generating significant international recognition.

The formal cooperation agreement signed in early December establishes Xueersi as UNESCO's strategic partner in developing a global, AI-powered online learning platform with enhanced crisis resilience. This collaboration will transfer China's digital education expertise to sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions, driving educational transformation aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals.

UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini and TAL Education Group CEO Wan Yiting virtually executed the agreement, building upon their established partnership. Since 2019, the organizations have jointly addressed educational technology ethics and COVID-19 learning disruptions through initiatives like: The Ethical Technology in Education Research Project (2019); Pandemic-response free learning resources distribution (April 2020); "AI Teacher Mandarin System" recognition as UNESCO's 2020 Mobile Learning Week innovation exemplar; Shortlisting for the 2019 UNESCO Hamdan Prize for ICT in Education (Top 5); Two-year sponsorship of the International AI in Education Conference.

CEO Wan Yiting emphasized Xueersi's commitment to expanding this collaboration, stating: "We will intensify global partnerships to advance intelligent education innovation, talent development, and IP protection - ensuring equitable access to quality learning, particularly for disadvantaged children worldwide, while supporting UNESCO's education equity objectives."