June 17, 2026 – Stéphan Vincent-Lancrin, Deputy Director of the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) of the Organisation for Economic Co operation and Development (OECD) and Member of the International Expert Advisory Committee for the Global Digital Education Development Index (GDEI), held an online meeting with core members of the GDEI research team at the China National Academy of Educational Sciences (CNAES). The two institutions exchanged views on the future development of GDEI research and upcoming bilateral cooperation initiatives.
Deputy Director Vincent-Lancrin opened the session by presenting the core contents of the OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026. Focusing on the application of generative AI in education, the report systematically explores AI’s impacts on student cognition, the educational practices of diverse AI tools, and systemic applications in assessment, curriculum development and scientific research through three major approaches: evidence integration, practical case studies and systematic analysis.
Subsequently, Zhu Xinyu, Executive Lead of the GDEI research programme at the CNAES, delivered a detailed overview of GDEI’s development process and latest research outcomes. Adopting an innovative multi-modal evidence-based evaluation paradigm pioneered by CNAES, GDEI constructs a standardized evaluation indicator system for digital education development and establishes a multi-modal evidence base. It conducts regular monitoring and assessment of global digital education progress, aiming to build global consensus on digital education development and identify context-adaptive development pathways for countries worldwide.
Since 2024, GDEI research findings have been released annually at the World Digital Education Conference for three consecutive years. GDEI 2024 formulated six “New” evaluation dimensions, establishing the theoretical framework and methodological foundation for GDEI research. GDEI 2025 added dedicated indicators for “AI + Education”, systematically mapping the global landscape of “AI + Education” development. GDEI 2026 focuses on “cultivating thinking competencies beyond AI”, responding to new opportunities and challenges that AI poses to the core educational question of “what kind of talent to nurture”. Moving forward, the GDEI research team plans to integrate the six “New” dimensions and the “AI + Education” indicators, deepen qualitative research and case analysis, and further explore key issues including the core competency development of teachers and students as well as ethical governance for AI-powered education.
Deputy Director Vincent-Lancrin spoke highly of the value and strategic significance of GDEI research. He noted that GDEI serves as a vital evaluation benchmark and decision-making reference for scientifically mapping the global digital education landscape and promoting coordinated digital education development across nations. At present, frontier topics such as “AI + Education” and “cultivating thinking competencies beyond AI” have become shared global priorities in education and key focal points for future educational transformation. Notably, the research framework of GDEI is highly aligned with flagship OECD research projects, including the OECD Digital Education Outlook.
In the final session, both parties conducted in-depth, constructive discussions on the future direction of GDEI research and the potential for pragmatic cooperation between GDEI and the OECD in the field of digital education. Meanwhile, Deputy Director Vincent-Lancrin and Weng Qirui, Director of the Academic Books Editorial Department at the Educational Science Publishing House, discussed the translation and publication arrangements for the Chinese version of the OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026. Looking ahead, the GDEI research team will further strengthen strategic alignment and practical cooperation with the OECD and other international organizations to jointly improve and drive the coordinated development of the global digital education evaluation system.
The meeting was organized by the GDEI research programme of the CNAES. All participants engaged in thorough exchanges and discussions, including Stéphan Vincent-Lancrin from the OECD, Zhu Xinyu, Wei Yina, Luo Li, Jin Long and Li Meng from the CNAES GDEI team, Li Yuhan from the CNAES International Exchange Office, and Weng Qirui from the Educational Science Publishing House.