International Conference on Education Transformation in the AI Era:

Research and Practice in Curriculum and Pedagogy, Teacher Development, and Educational 

Administration

ETAI: International Academic Alumni Conference 2026

Faculty of Education, Northeast Normal University (NENU)

In conjunction with the 80th Anniversary Festival of NENU

Welcome Message

After years of learning, research, and field engagement across borders, we are inviting you to return home, back to your Alma Mater, Northeast Normal University (NENU), for a moment of shared recognition, intellectual exchange, and future-facing collaboration.

This conference is rooted in the legacy of the International Postgraduate Education Program (English-Medium) of NENU, which began in 2008 and, by June 2026, should have brought together more than 269 graduates from over 74 countries. From classrooms and communities to policy rooms and university offices, our alumni have carried the program’s values and skills into diverse contexts. Many have returned to serve in their home countries, while others continue their work across new geographies. Today, graduates of this program contribute strongly to the education ecosystem, particularly through roles in universities, government institutions, and education agencies.

Yet this moment is profoundly special: the first time our alumni are gathering at their Alma Mater to present the achievements earned over the years since graduation. This conference is not only a celebration of individual progress but also an opportunity to map how international education training translates into real-world impact across systems of learning, educational policy, leadership, and equity worldwide.

Your work belongs here.

We are inviting submissions that reflect alumni journeys and the evolving challenges in international education, especially in a world shaped by emerging technologies, shifting identities, multilingual realities, and the urgent need for ethical and culturally responsive approaches. Whether your research has influenced curriculum and pedagogy, teacher development, educational governance, student agency and well-being, or decolonizing and language-inclusive education policy, we want to hear your voice grounded in evidence, experience, and insight.

This Conference Seeks to:

· Showcase alumni research and implementation outcomes across contexts

· Strengthen cross-country learning among scholars, practitioners, and policy leaders

· Explore pressing issues in international education through rigorous inquiry and reflective practice

· Build new networks that can continue to inspire the next generation of students

We look forward to welcoming you back, as a family, so we can transform accumulated experience into shared momentum for what education should become next.

A. Conference Theme

Education Transformation in the Artificial Intelligence Era.

Sub themes: Artificial Intelligence and curriculum and pedagogy, teacher development, educational governance, student agency and well-being, or decolonizing and language-inclusive education policy.

Format & Scope

· Hybrid: on-site and live streaming, plus asynchronous access to recordings and materials

· Two days, globally distributed time-zone aware design

B. Call for Contributions

We invite submissions from:

· Alumni educators, administrators, researchers, and graduate students

· Faculty and education technology leaders from partner institutions

· Policy makers and practitioners working in international education contexts

Thematic Areas

1. Artificial Intelligence and Curriculum

· AI and Curriculum Design

· Technical Infrastructure, Security, and Academic Ethics

· Competency-Centered Curricula and Innovative AI Assessment

· Accessibility in and Ethics of AI Education

· Decolonizing curricula and assessments in the AI era

2. Teacher Development, Student Well-being, and Administrative Leadership

· Teacher Professional Development in the AI Era

· AI and Administrative Leadership and Policy

· Student Agency and Well-being in AI Contexts

3. Cross-cutting issues: Cultures, Identities, and Education in the AI era

· Language, identity, representation in AI-era schooling

· Policy for gender equity, diversity, inclusion (GEDI), and multilingualism

C. Types of Submissions

1. Full Research Paper – empirical study, systematic review, quasi-experimental results, learning analytics.

2. Practice/Case Study – implementation report, program evaluation, or field-tested curriculum/pedagogy or PD model.

3. Policy & Governance Paper – education policy analysis, risk governance, privacy/data governance frameworks, equity/multilingual policy.

4. Design/Prototype Report – tool, platform, instructional design, or intervention with evaluation or implementation evidence.

5. Reflective Scholarship – rigorous reflective practice anchored in evidence, theory, and/or participant outcomes.

D. Abstract Format

· Length: 300–500 words

· Structured abstract elements:

o Background & purpose

o Approach/method/design

o Context (country/institution/participants)

o Findings or expected contributions

o Ethical considerations (especially data/privacy)

o Implications

o 5 Key words

E. Presentation Format

· Alumni/Guest presentations (60–75 minutes total per session slot, including discussion)

· Panels/Roundtables (45–60 minutes)

· Poster/Digital Exhibition (15 minutes with Q&A)

Accepted abstracts will be invited to submit full papers for the conference proceedings; details will be provided later.

F. Important Dates

· Abstract submission deadline: May 31, 2026

· Notification of acceptance: June 15, 2026

· Early registration deadline: June 30, 2026

· Conference dates: September 12 and 13, 2026

G. Submission Link / Contact

· Submission portal: https://forms.gle/Y3SPXHQXeFaKNWPDA [For international participants in regions where Google services are inaccessible either use alternative source OR submit your abstract by email to etaiconference@nenu.edu.cn]

· Conference contact email: etaiconference@nenu.edu.cn

· Proceedings inquiries: To Be Announced [TBA]