Smart Education for Innovation, Hubei-Hong Kong Collaboration
Academic and Cultural Exchange Between Hubei University and The Education University of Hong Kong Concludes Successfully. From June 14 to 20, the academic and cultural exchange event themed Smart Education for Innovation, Hubei-Hong Kong Collaboration was successfully held between The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) and Hubei University. As a project under the 2026 Mainland-Hong Kong-Macao University Teacher and Student Exchange Programme, the one-week event brought together a faculty and student delegation from the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology of EdUHK, led by Dr. Yuen Man Wai and Dr. Zhang Ying, with teachers and students from the School of Teacher Education of Hubei University. Centered on three core goals: academic discussion, practical experience and cultural exchange, the event covered cross-university academic salons, primary school class observations and Jingchu cultural visits, building a regular dialogue platform for young education scholars from Hubei and Hong Kong.
**【Photo 1: Group photo of all teachers and students at the opening ceremony】**
I. Opening Day: Cultural Immersion and In-depth Academic Discussion
On June 15, the exchange officially kicked off. In the morning, EdUHK faculty and students visited the History Museum and University Museum of Hubei University. Guided by professional docents, they learned about the university’s development history and educational achievements through historical materials and exhibits, and viewed cultural relics such as bronzes, ancient jade and ceramics to experience the Jingchu cultural heritage. This immersive visit combining university history and traditional culture laid a foundation of cultural empathy for subsequent academic and teaching exchanges.
In the afternoon, the opening ceremony was held in Room 226 of the School of Teacher Education, hosted by Prof. Yin Shufei, Vice Dean of the School of Teacher Education. Ms. Cao Jing, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office of Hubei University, delivered a welcome speech. Ms. Lu Yiting, Party Secretary of the School of Teacher Education, addressed the ceremony, noting the solid normal education foundation and shared educational mission of the two universities. Dr. Yuen Man Wai and Dr. Zhang Ying then introduced the overview of EdUHK and the discipline development of the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology. Student representatives Zhang Kan (EdUHK) and Shuai Linglong (Hubei University) shared their expectations for the exchange. Dr. Liang Wei from Hubei University elaborated on the overall schedule, grouping arrangements and notes for the event. At the end of the ceremony, representatives from both sides exchanged souvenirs, marking the official launch of the program.
**【Photo 2: A Hong Kong youth representative speaking at the opening ceremony】**
Following the opening ceremony, a mathematics education academic salon was held, moderated by Dr. Zhang Ying. In the expert keynote session, Dr. Yuen Man Wai delivered a speech titled An Introduction to AI-Enabled Mathematics Teaching in Secondary Schools, sorting out the integration paths of AI technology and secondary school mathematics classrooms. Dr. Yan Qing from Hubei University presented A Comparative Study on Teaching Discourse Between Expert and Novice Junior High School Mathematics Teachers: From the Perspective of Creative Thinking Cultivation, focusing on optimization strategies of teaching discourse for creative thinking development. Afterwards, five postgraduate and doctoral students, Chen Hailong, Xiong Yongjie, Li Qinzhi, Tu Xinyu and Li Zhezhe, shared their research findings covering topics such as AI application in primary and secondary schools, China-Singapore textbook comparison, adaptive learning platforms, and interdisciplinary mathematics-science teaching design. After the presentations, teachers and students held lively interactive discussions.
**【Photo 3: Expert speeches and postgraduate presentations at the academic salon】**
II. Cross-University Seminar: Three Universities Gather to Explore Frontier of Mathematics Education
On June 16, the delegation visited the School of Mathematics and Statistics of Central China Normal University (CCNU) for cross-regional academic presentations and discussions. Young researchers from EdUHK, Hubei University and CCNU gathered to exchange insights on cutting-edge topics including mathematics education reform and AI-enabled teaching.
**【Photo 4: Group photo of teachers and students from three universities at the cross-university seminar】**
The opening session was hosted by Associate Professor Li Na from the School of Mathematics and Statistics of CCNU. Mr. Zhou Bo, Deputy Party Secretary of the school, delivered an opening speech, extending a warm welcome to the visiting teachers and students. In the keynote session, Dr. Liu Yixuan shared Teacher Beliefs and Teaching Practice in Mathematics Curriculum Reform, analyzing the transformation path of front-line teachers’ beliefs amid curriculum reform. Dr. Li Kunli presented The Effect of Scaffolding Effectiveness on Students’ Problem-Solving Ability in Permutation and Combination, exploring the mechanism of scaffolding teaching on students’ problem-solving skills.
The postgraduate presentation session was moderated by Dr. Liu Yixuan. Six postgraduate and doctoral students, Liu Simei, Guo Jiahui, Liang Zhanhua, Tian Miao, Zhang Kan and Ye Yurou, delivered speeches on diverse topics, including AI anxiety and teachers’ homework redesign intention, personalized homework design from cognitive diagnosis perspective, lightweight programming teaching methods, teaching reconstruction of mathematical thinking, AI-enabled dialogic teaching, and the impact of parental educational involvement on mathematics performance. The presentations combined theoretical innovation and classroom practice with rich research perspectives. In the discussion session, teachers and students from the three universities actively exchanged ideas, creating a strong academic atmosphere.
**【Photo 5: Postgraduate presentation and expert comments session】**
III. Field Practice: Visiting Campus to Explore Smart Education Practices
On June 17, the delegation visited Lakeside Campus of Shenlong Primary School Education Group in Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone, a featured observation site for basic education at the 2025 World Digital Education Conference, to explore the implementation paths and innovative experience of digital technology-enabled primary education.
**【Photo 6: Delegation visiting Shenlong Primary School】**
Led by Principal Xia Man and Vice Principal Ouyang Yujuan of Lakeside Campus, the delegation first visited the school’s featured “Smart Fun Community” to learn about the digital five-education evaluation system. Principal Xia Man explained the closed loop of accompanying data collection, dynamic growth evaluation and gamified incentives. The delegation then visited “Xingyu Academy”, an interdisciplinary learning center of nearly 3,000 square meters, where Teacher Sun Min introduced the center’s multi-functional spaces and AI curriculum system.
The delegation also observed a fifth-grade mathematics open class The Knowledge Behind Tickets taught by the teacher Mr. Chen Hao. Taking Wuhan metro fare rules as the entry point, the class guided students to explore the relationship between travel distance and unit fare, and analyzed the operation logic of urban rail transit through cross-city data comparison. With AI tool interaction, the class integrated statistical knowledge with real-life urban issues, presenting a vivid example of interdisciplinary mathematics teaching in primary schools. Dr. Zhang Ying from EdUHK and Dr. Liang Wei from Hubei University commented on the open class, followed by a friendly Q&A session between teachers and students. At the end of the visit, Principal Xia Man gave a thematic sharing titled New School Patterns in the Intelligent Era, introducing the school’s innovative practices in smart campus, AI curriculum, classroom paradigm and evaluation mechanism.
**【Photo 7: Mathematics open class at Shenlong Primary School】**
IV. Closing Ceremony: Cultural Exchange and Shared Growth
On June 18, in the morning, teachers and students from both sides visited Hubei Provincial Museum. Guided by docents, they viewed national treasures including the Chime Bells of Marquis Yi of Zeng, the Sword of Goujian, and the Tiger-Stand Bird-Frame Drum, experiencing the profound heritage of Chinese traditional culture. During the one-week event, the delegation also visited landmarks such as the Yellow Crane Tower, East Lake, Wuhan University and Jianghan Road to experience the urban charm and cultural features of Wuhan.
**【Photo 8: Teachers and students visiting Hubei Provincial Museum】**
In the afternoon, the closing ceremony was held in Room 226 of the School of Teacher Education of Hubei University. Attendees included Ms. Cao Jing, Prof. Yin Shufei and Dr. Liang Wei from Hubei University, as well as Dr. Yuen Man Wai and Dr. Zhang Ying from EdUHK. Student representatives from five groups, Lyu Yongqi, He Qi, Guo Siyuan, Wang Yilin, Zhu Yaxin, Peng Cai, Ma Xinyu and Deng Junmo, shared their insights and gains from the immersive exchange via presentations and short videos, focusing on topics such as AI-enabled pre-service teacher education and regional collaborative exploration. The participants exchanged ideas in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Afterwards, Dr. Yuen Man Wai, Dr. Zhang Ying, Prof. Yin Shufei and Dr. Liang Wei delivered closing remarks, affirming the students’ active participation and academic progress, and encouraging them to deepen educational research cooperation between Hubei and Hong Kong.
**【Photo 9: The closing ceremony】**
This Smart Education for Innovation, Hubei-Hong Kong Collaboration project is an initiative supported by the Ministry of Education’s Mainland-Hong Kong-Macao University Teacher and Student Exchange Programme. The one-week exchange has built an emotional bond for cultural communication between young people from Hubei and Hong Kong, and consolidated the foundation for teaching and research cooperation. It has effectively promoted the exchange of teacher education resources and the integration of ideas among young scholars, contributing to the collaborative cultivation of education talents in the Greater Bay Area.
