The 5th Conference of Sino-Finnish Joint Learning Innovation Institute

Due to the fact of COVID-19 pademic, the 2020 Annual Conference of Sino-Finnish Joint Learning Innovation Institute has been postponed for several times. Finally, on November 24, 2020, the 5th Conference of JoLII, on "Artificial Intelligence and Learning" has been virtually held.

From 2015 to 2020, JoLII has gone through the first five years of memorandum. This is a special year for JoLII to learn from the past and look for the future. The opening ceremony and the signing ceremony was hosted by Dr.. WANG Jun, Vice Dean of Faculty of Psychology of Beijing Normal University and Vice Dean of JoLII institute.

In his opening speech, Professor ZHOU Zuoyu, Vice President of Beijing Normal University, addressed that with the support of Chinese Ministry of Education, JoLII had successfully gone through five years, and the institute is ready to step into a new chapter of cooperation for the next ten years. We have entered an era highlighted by artificial intelligence, big data and brain science, which will inevitably bring new changes into science and technology. It will change the way of teaching and learning. Professor ZHOU sent his hope that the experts of the two countries will have in-depth dialogue and exchange during two days to jointly lead the development of artificial intelligence and education.

Professor Hanna Snellman, Vice Vector of the University of Helsinki, said in her speech that artificial intelligence is changing everyone's life, including learning and education. How to make artificial intelligence to serve all over the world and benefit everyone, is our ultimate goal. In the past five years, the institute has achieved excellent outcomes, and today's signing ceremony has opened a new chapter of cooperation. Professor Snellman believes that the institute will make greater contributions to the development of education in the future.

Professor QIAO Zhihong, Party Secretary of the Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, addressed that JoLII becomes a high-level international cooperative multidisciplinary platform, and also innovative institution integrating scientific research. The achievements embodied the efforts of all the members of JoLII from both China and Finland. JoLII Signing Ceremony is a milestone, which marks a new 10-year international collaboration. As the  directing unit of JoLII, the Faculty of Psychology will continue to provide service for the scholars and entrepreneurs.

Subsequently, at the Signing Ceremony of the institute, Professor ZHOU Zuoyu, Vice President of Beijing Normal University, and Professor Hanna Snellman, Vice Rector of University of Helsinki, as representatives of the two countries, signed the extention of  agreement for the next decade. JoLII has officially entered a new stage of development. Ms. Mari-Anna Suurmunne, Counsellor of Education and Science at Embassy of Finland in Beijing, sent her best wishes for a successful conference.

　　Professor LIU Baocun from Beijing Normal University and Professor Inkeri Ruokonen from University of Turku hosted the following Keynote Report Session. Experts including LIU Jia from Tsinghua University, YU Shengquan and TENG Jun from Beijing Normal University, and Hannele Niemi, Jari Lavonen and Maija Aksela from University of Helsinki, have given excellent talks involved several topics such as, students’ 21st Century Skills, AI and teaching, teacher training, educational equity and ethics.

On the second day of the conference, 10 invited reports and a wonderful Dialogue Between China and Finland, were given by experts from Tsinghua University, Beijing Normal University, Southwest University and University of Helsinki, as well as enterprise representatives from NetDragon Network, TAL Education Group and YuanFuDao.

Professor Hannele Niemi and Professor LIU Jia，as Deans of JoLII from Finland and China, gave the closing speech, and their wishes for a good reunion at 2021 JoLII conference.