PARIS, April 2 (Xinhua Silk Road) -- The UNESCO headquarters recently held an event named Artificial Intelligence (AI) Day: Youth and Digital Transformation, in partnership with CODEMAO, a Chinese online coding education company.
Speakers and participants noted that, under the Youth Coding Initiative jointly launched by UNESCO and CODEMAO in 2021, cooperation in programming and artificial intelligence (AI) education for young people has achieved fruitful results.
As the organizers stated, the initiative includes three components: training in digital skills (coding and AI) in Africa and Asia; the creation of coding and AI education networks across the two continents; and raising awareness of the importance of digital empowerment.
Data showed that in 2021-2022 only, more than 200 teachers from Kenya, the Republic of Congo, Namibia, and Thailand participated in the training program, with 45 percent of them being women. Since 2024, introductory courses on AI culture and online programming workshops have benefited nearly 1,500 students from Côte d'Ivoire, the Republic of Congo, Thailand, Kenya, and Namibia.
The initiative has been presented as a flagship project and model for coding capacity-building in Africa at many international events, such as the 2022 UNESCO Sub-Regional Forum for Southern Africa on AI held in Windhoek, Namibia, the 2023 African Science, Technology and Innovation Forum held in Niamey, Niger, the 2024 High-Level AI Forum held at the "Al Movement" International AI Centre in Rabat, Morocco, and the 2024 Summit on Creativity in Education Systems held in Paris, France.
Moreover, an exchange visit was held in China in July 2024, bringing together representatives from all implementation partners, as well as teachers and students. Over 40 participants visited the CODEMAO headquarters, technology parks, and the Hailiang Education Park.
Following the success of the first phase of the project (2021-2024), the second phase was launched for the period in 2025-2030, where another partner, Chinese smartphone maker OPPO, also got on board to contribute, notably by providing 1,000 tablets in 2025 containing coding applications developed by CODEMAO and adapted for project beneficiaries.
"For many countries in Asia and Africa, the widespread adoption of digital and AI education has become urgent. Thanks to the Youth Coding Initiative and the sharing of China's experience, it is possible to provide more children in Asia and Africa with affordable, accessible, and sustainable learning opportunities," said Li Tianchi, founder of CODEMAO, at the event.
Li also stressed on the importance of school-enterprise cooperation in promoting digital and AI education. "The joint efforts of schools and enterprises drive the co-evolution of education. In China, there are many enterprises like CODEMAO, and we are working with the school education system to explore how to integrate artificial intelligence education into primary and secondary schools to achieve better results. Although we cannot expect immediate outcomes, through mutual adaptation and collaboration, we can listen to children's feelings and teachers' feedback, so as to continuously refine products and iterate services. "
At the event, many young African participants have given their opinions after having received programming training through Kitten Editor, a graphical coding tool developed by CODEMAO.
"It allows me to code in a simple and fun way. It uses pre-made blocks that you can arrange just like puzzle pieces to build and see your project come to life," said Davina, a student at a high school in Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of the Congo.
Alina, a Namibian girl, found the training "very inspiring." The Kitten platform makes programming more interesting and simpler, while also helping her develop the critical thinking skills. She added that she would continue to learn more on the platform.
The one-day event featured a wide range of thematic programs, including a high-level forum, a session dedicated to the voices of African youth, discussions on topics such as women's entrepreneurship in AI and start-up incubation, as well as a robot exhibition, and a signing ceremony for new partnership agreements. (Contributed by Li Wenxin, edited by Yang Linlin with Xinhua Silk Road, linlinyanglyn@163.com)
A single purchase
