The 2024 Global Education Deans Forum: Charting Education’s Future Amid AI’s Rise
In late 2024, the bustling cities of Shanghai and Lijiang, China, hosted one of the most significant global gatherings of education leaders: the annual Global Education Deans Forum (GEDF). Bringing together 53 representatives from 40 institutions spanning 29 countries, this year’s forum was a pivotal moment to reflect upon the sweeping transformations artificial intelligence (AI) is provoking in higher education. As academic leaders grappled with the promise and perils of AI technologies, profound questions emerged concerning the very essence of education in the digital age—questions that resonate across campuses worldwide.
Since its inception in 2018 as a collaborative initiative between East China Normal University and the University of Kansas, GEDF has steadily evolved from a regional conversation into a powerful international platform. The forum has grown both in scale and scope, underscoring the urgent need for interdisciplinary dialogue around education’s future. This dynamic gathering has become emblematic of how academia must adapt within an era increasingly defined by algorithmic complexity and automation.
Opening the forum, Dean Zhenguo Yuan of East China Normal University articulated an insightful framework that has rapidly gained traction: the transition from a “small science era” to a “big science era” in education research. The former, characterized by isolated scholarly endeavors, is being eclipsed by a new paradigm rooted in expansive, cross-disciplinary collaborations that blend human creativity with machine intelligence. Yuan’s vision marked a clarion call for educators to embrace AI not only as a tool but as an indispensable collaborator fueling innovation across domains.
This shift toward “big science” demands more than technological adoption. It requires the cultivation of global networks where ideas can be exchanged with unprecedented speed and scale. Dean Rick Ginsberg from the University of Kansas reinforced this urgency in his remarks, spotlighting the progress made since prior forums held in Shanghai, Boston, and Dublin. Initiatives like the “Deans’ Dialogue” online series epitomize efforts to foster sustained international connectivity, essential for navigating AI’s rapidly evolving influence on education systems worldwide.
Throughout the forum’s collaborative sessions, participants engaged in rigorous examination of generative AI’s multifaceted effects on education. They explored how AI is reshaping teacher preparation, provoking urgent discussions on school reform, influencing economic and cultural dimensions, and disrupting traditional approaches to instruction and student evaluation. These conversations painted a nuanced picture: while AI opens novel pedagogical possibilities, it simultaneously raises complex challenges around equity, ethics, and the preservation of human values.
One prominent theme was the widening digital divide. Although AI-powered tools promise to enhance learning, access remains uneven both within and between nations. Forum delegates underscored the critical importance of ensuring equitable access to AI technologies to avoid exacerbating existing disparities in educational opportunity. Equally, responsible AI use policies were identified as essential to guard against unintended biases, privacy infringements, and the potential dehumanization of learning environments.
The ethical dimension of AI integration permeated the discourse. Leaders cautioned that reliance on automated systems for assessment and instruction must be tempered with rigorous oversight to preserve academic integrity and maintain trust. Alarm bells also sounded regarding the societal ripple effects of AI-driven education models, including shifts in labor markets, cultural adaptations, and the redefinition of lifelong learning in an age where human cognition interfaces increasingly with machine intelligence.
Notably, the forum highlighted an emergent consensus: while AI excels at automating repetitive and data-intensive tasks, it cannot replicate the uniquely human attributes central to education’s mission. Dean Yuan’s closing reflections poignantly captured this truth. Despite AI’s prowess in generating real-time translations and analysis, the indispensable role of human educators, translators, and volunteers remains paramount in fostering empathy, inspiration, and genuine personal connection—qualities that machines, however advanced, have yet to emulate authentically.
This human-centered perspective is far from nostalgic. Rather, it recognizes that AI’s optimal application in education lies in amplifying rather than replacing educators’ creative and relational capacities. The McDiarmid and Yin (2025) article synthesizes this viewpoint, articulating that “the heart of education lies in the unique human qualities” that machines cannot duplicate. This foundational principle serves as a compass for guiding ethical AI integration strategies.
Technically, the forum also showcased cutting-edge developments in AI-enhanced pedagogical tools. Participants deliberated on sophisticated generative models capable of producing personalized learning pathways, adaptive assessments, and interactive educational software that responds dynamically to student needs. However, integrating these technologies necessitates robust data governance frameworks, interoperability standards, and cross-sector collaborations bridging computer science, cognitive psychology, and educational theory.
Moreover, the forum emphasized the imperative of interdisciplinary research programs to understand AI’s long-term impacts on education. Investigations linking AI “common sense knowledge” with pedagogical effectiveness are increasingly critical, as are studies exploring mentorship models enhanced by AI nudges. As the community of science education researchers expands, the development of ethical guidelines and organizational bylaws ensuring sound AI practices emerged as priorities for sustaining systemic resilience.
In sum, the 2024 Global Education Deans Forum illuminated a transformative epoch for education—one where human intellect and artificial intelligence coexist in a complex symbiosis. The gathering underlined that the future of learning hinges on balancing technological innovation with enduring humanistic values. As AI continues to redefine academic landscapes, the responsibilities of educational leaders intensify: to champion equitable access, steward ethical integration, and above all, nurture the human connections that remain at education’s core.
For stakeholders in the educational and technological realms alike, the forum’s insights offer both inspiration and a sobering roadmap. They call for sustained global collaboration, reflective policy-making, and a steadfast commitment to ensuring that artificial intelligence serves as a partner in enhancing, not eroding, what it means to teach and to learn in the 21st century.
Subject of Research: Not applicable
Article Title: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Education: Insights From Global Deans
News Publication Date: 27-May-2025
Web References:
– ECNU Review of Education: journals.sagepub.com/home/ROE
– GEDF X account: @GEDF2018
– GEDF videos on YouTube: youtube.com/@ecnureviewofeducation6270
References: McDiarmid, G. W. & Yin, [Initial]. (2025). The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Education: Insights From Global Deans. ECNU Review of Education. DOI: 10.1177/20965311251327228
Image Credits: Professor G. Williamson McDiarmid, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
