On 6 July 2026, UNESCO-UNEVOC hosted the online launch and expert discussion of a new publication, Integrating AI in TVET: A practical guide for institutions. The guide was developed by UNESCO-UNEVOC in collaboration with Shenzhen Polytechnic University (SZPU), Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg and international experts.
The publication responds to the growing need for TVET institutions to develop coherent, responsible and context-sensitive approaches to AI integration. It outlines ethical foundations for responsible AI use, examines system-level conditions for building an AI-ready TVET ecosystem, and presents an institution-wide approach to integrating AI across core institutional functions, supported by tools for AI readiness self-reflection, risk management, and monitoring and evaluation.
The launch event brought together more than 500 participants globally. Senior representatives of UNESCO and UNESCO-UNEVOC attended and delivered remarks, including Borhene Chakroun, Director of the Division for Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems, UNESCO; Shafika Isaacs, Chief of Section for Technology and AI in Education, UNESCO; and Friedrich Huebler, Head of UNESCO-UNEVOC.
During the launch, the guide was introduced in a session moderated by Kenny Muscat of UNESCO-UNEVOC. Congkun Yang and Wenxi Wu from the UNESCO Chair on Digitalization in TVET at SZPU, together with Hannes Tegelbeckers from Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, presented the purpose, structure and key content of the publication.
The launch also featured two panel discussions bringing together TVET experts from Africa, the Arab States, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Central Asia and Latin America. Panellists shared promising practices from their institutions and discussed implementation conditions and priorities for AI integration in diverse contexts.
The launch contributes to broader international efforts to support TVET systems in navigating the opportunities and challenges of AI. Building on this collaboration, the UNESCO Chair at SZPU will continue to promote research, policy dialogue and knowledge exchange on digital transformation and AI in TVET, supporting human-centred, inclusive and future-oriented approaches to skills development.
The publication can be accessed here: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000398609
