-- The International Experts Sharing Meeting concluded successfully online on April 10, drawing over 200 education professionals, policymakers, and agricultural specialists from across Southeast Asia and beyond. Co-organized by Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Centre for Technical Education Development (SEAMEO TED), the China-ASEAN Technical Education Cooperation Platform (CATECP), Go Study Global Education, and marking a significant milestone as the first collaborative effort with UNESCO’s International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (INRULED), the virtual gathering centered on “Smart Agriculture Training for Rural Development.” At a time when climate volatility, food insecurity, and rural-urban disparities pose mounting challenges to the region, the event underscored the urgent need for coordinated, cross-border capacity building.
Group photo of the participants
In his opening address, Mr. Phou Vireak of SEAMEO TED framed rural development as a foundational pillar for national resilience and regional stability. He emphasized that in an era of rapid technological and environmental change, advancing agricultural productivity, ensuring food security, and fostering context-responsive innovation require sustained dialogue and international cooperation.
Mr. Phou Vireak, Vice Chief of the Administration and Finance Division of SEAMEO TED, delivering the opening address
Building on this vision, Dr. Zhao Yuchi, Executive Director of UNESCO INRULED, highlighted that technological advancement alone cannot bridge the rural development gap. He stressed that smart agriculture must be coupled with human-centered collaboration and community-based educational platforms. As this marked INRULED’s first joint initiative with the organizing consortium, his message reinforced a shared commitment: to ensure emerging technologies reach rural learners equitably, and to foster partnerships that translate global research into localized training pathways.
Dr. Zhao Yuchi, Executive Director of UNESCO INRULED, delivering his keynote address.
During the knowledge-sharing sessions, experts from China, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Malaysia shared practical frameworks for smart agriculture, highlighting innovations like UAV spraying and AI-assisted detection. The sessions emphasized that transitioning to data-driven farming requires structured capacity building and a modernized curriculum to attract youth and women to the sector.
The successful conclusion of the International Experts Sharing Meeting, bolstered by UNESCO INRULED’s participation, reaffirms the growing momentum behind collaborative rural education initiatives in Southeast Asia. As digital transformation continues to reshape agricultural landscapes, sustained knowledge exchange and capacity-building partnerships will remain essential to fostering resilient, inclusive, and future-ready rural economies across the region.
Contact Info:
Name: Zora Cao
Email: Send Email
Organization: GuangxiXUEERSHIXINGCommerce&ExhibitionCo.,Ltd.
Website: http://www.go-study.cn/
Release ID: 89188622
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