On 24 March, global education stakeholders will convene at the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) and online for a major event on teacher professional development at scale (TPD@Scale), exploring how emerging technologies can better support teachers’ learning and practice.

The event is a collaborative effort between the Global Institute for Emerging Technologies Equity Team at The Education University of Hong Kong, UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE), SEAMEO Secretariat, Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS) and Empowering Teachers Initiative: TPD@Scale (ETI), with support from the International Development Research Centre and UNESCO Chairs Programme.

This forum will bring together international education leaders, policymakers, and experts to investigate how emerging technologies can transform teacher professional development at scale across the globe.

The forum will feature distinguished guests from UNESCO and the SEAMEO Secretariat, TPD@Scale experts at The Open University and SUMMA, and insightful case studies from Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

The event will culminate in a High-Level Policy Panel Discussion and reflections with key stakeholders from the Foundation for Information Technology Education and Development and KERIS.

• Date: 24 March 2026
• Time: 2:30pm - 5:00pm (GMT+8)
• Venue: Tai Po Campus, EdUHK / Zoom (hybrid)
• Join via Zoom: https://bit.ly/4dxmB3c
• Free registration: https://bit.ly/4bft15F

On 24 March, global education stakeholders will convene at the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) and online for a major event on teacher professional development at scale (TPD@Scale), exploring how emerging technologies can better support teachers’ learning and practice.

The event is a collaborative effort between the Global Institute for Emerging Technologies Equity Team at The Education University of Hong Kong, UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE), SEAMEO Secretariat, Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS) and Empowering Teachers Initiative: TPD@Scale (ETI), with support from the International Development Research Centre and UNESCO Chairs Programme.

This forum will bring together international education leaders, policymakers, and experts to investigate how emerging technologies can transform teacher professional development at scale across the globe.

The forum will feature distinguished guests from UNESCO and the SEAMEO Secretariat, TPD@Scale experts at The Open University and SUMMA, and insightful case studies from Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

The event will culminate in a High-Level Policy Panel Discussion and reflections with key stakeholders from the Foundation for Information Technology Education and Development and KERIS.

• Date: 24 March 2026
• Time: 2:30pm - 5:00pm (GMT+8)
• Venue: Tai Po Campus, EdUHK / Zoom (hybrid)
• Join via Zoom: https://bit.ly/4dxmB3c
• Free registration: https://bit.ly/4bft15F

A webinar titled Low-tech, high impact: Training teachers where they are - Scalable Mobile-based Teacher Training Solutions: Lessons Learned and Perspectives will take place on 4 June at 15:00 CET (GMT+2) via Zoom. 

Organised by the International Teacher Task Force, its Thematic Group on Digital & AI, co-led by MESHGuides and Digital Promise, and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), through GIZ, the webinar aims to showcase innovative low-tech training approaches that enable in-service teacher professional development in low-resource and crisis-affected contexts.

Click here to register for the webinar.

Background
With an estimated global need for 44 million new teachers by 2030 to meet SDG 4 targets, effective and scalable training solutions are critical. Conventional models often fail to reach teachers in remote or crisis-affected areas. The COVID-19 pandemic further underscored the urgency of equipping teachers with foundational and 21st-century skills needed for resilient and inclusive education systems. Low-tech mobile solutions, such as SMS and WhatsApp-based training, offer flexible, accessible, and scalable opportunities that meet teachers where they are.

Speakers and programme highlights

• Carlos Vargas, Head of the Teacher Task Force Secretariat, will provide the welcome and background introduction.

• A representative from GIZ will introduce the presented solutions.

• ProFuturo, a leader in digital teacher training, will share insights and lessons learned from implementing teacher training programs in low-resource contexts.

• The Future Teacher Kit (a joint initiative by GIZ, UNESCO, and UNICEF) will be presented, highlighting mobile-supported teacher training tailored for remote and crisis-affected settings. This segment will include contributions from the Jamaican Teaching Council, Ministry of Education Ecuador, UNESCO Ecuador, UNESCO Jamaica, and UNICEF’s Helsinki Global Innovation Learning Hub.

The webinar will also include Q&A sessions and a moderated discussion facilitated by the co-leads of the TTF Thematic Group on Digital Education and AI. Discussion topics will address key future skills for teachers, challenges and successful strategies in teacher training, as well as barriers and enablers for scaling mobile-based approaches and partnerships.

Objectives

• To showcase effective low-tech teacher training models that support professional development in challenging environments.
• To share implementation experiences and lessons learned from diverse contexts.
• To facilitate dialogue among stakeholders, including education ministries, teacher training institutions, development partners, and civil society.
• To explore practical challenges and opportunities in scaling mobile-based training and policy implications.

Expected outcomes
Participants are expected to gain a deeper understanding of mobile-based teacher training approaches and to be inspired to adapt and scale such models in their own national contexts.

Additional information
The webinar will be conducted in English only; interpretation will not be available.

Registration
Please register here.