Forty-six sister-school partnerships are established at the 20th Jiangsu International Forum for School Principals in Suzhou. [Photo/Jiangsu Department of Education]

The 20th Jiangsu International Forum for School Principals opened in Suzhou on Nov 6, bringing together education officials, institutional representatives, and school leaders from 16 countries, including the United States, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, Italy, and Brazil. This year's gathering marked the largest and most internationally diverse conference since the event was launched in 2005.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Jiang Yong, director of Jiangsu Provincial Education Department, noted that emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence, are reshaping societies worldwide, placing education at the forefront of rapid transformation. He emphasized that developing students' AI literacy is now a shared global challenge.

Centered around the tagline "Core Competencies and Pathways for Cultivating AI Literacy in the Digital Age", the conference encouraged joint reflection on how education systems should evolve.

Linda Vaughan, director of International Education and Partnerships at the Department of Education in Victoria, Australia, said the discussions will help schools broaden knowledge and enhance capabilities to better address both opportunities and challenges in AI and STEM fields.

The conference facilitated the establishment of 46 new international sister-school partnerships and announced the launch of the 2026 Discover Jiangsu International Youth Exchange Camp. Jiangsu also introduced a new international STEM joint working group, collaborating with schools from eight countries.

Since 2005, the conference has helped over 2,000 Jiangsu schools establish global sister-school relationships and enabled more than 50,000 teachers and students to participate in exchanges, research collaboration, and co-developed curriculum programs, supporting deeper, long-term international educational cooperation.