On December 3, 2018, the GES2018 Future Education Summit (hereinafter referred to as the "GES Summit") opened in Beijing. More than 800 heavyweight guests from the education sector gathered together to explore the cutting-edge trends of global education. The conference is directly guided by the Development Research Center of the State Council and the Ministry of Education, and co-sponsored by the China Development Research Foundation, Beijing Normal University, Tencent, GSV (Global Silicon Valley Investment Company), New Oriental, and TAL Education Group, with academic support provided by Arizona State University (ASU).

As one of the co-organizers of the conference, TAL Education Group and its various business units made a comprehensive appearance. On the first day of the conference, TAL Education Group's co-founder and president, Bai Yunfeng, delivered a keynote speech. In addition, leaders of TAL's various business units participated in high-level dialogues, roundtable discussions, product exhibitions, and other activities, fully demonstrating multi-dimensional thinking and exploration in the field of education.

Exploring Education: TAL Education Never Stops

On the first morning of the conference, Bai Yunfeng delivered a keynote speech titled "Exploring Education: We Never Stop."

Bai Yunfeng, Co-founder and President of TAL Education Group, delivering a keynote speech

In his speech, Bai Yunfeng reviewed the "important moments" in education that have influenced a generation or even several generations of Chinese people, such as the restoration of the college entrance examination in 1977, the launch of the Project Hope in 1989, and the expansion of college enrollment in 1999. Bai Yunfeng believes that the transformation of the educational needs of 1.3 billion people is also the most primal driving force for educational progress. The basic education in China has undergone a development process from being centered around "teaching" to nurturing the future of "educating" students. The ultimate goal of education now is to instill children with the character of integrity, kindness, and honesty, and to equip them with the ability to pursue happiness. The transformation of the concept of family education in China has been the best driving force for continuous innovation in education.

Regarding educational technology, Bai Yunfeng introduced that since its establishment, TAL Education has been studying the "science of learning" to better implement personalized instruction and make teaching without discrimination a reality, helping students learn in a more scientific manner. TAL Education now has over 5,000 R&D staff responsible for product, technology, and teaching development, investing over a billion RMB in R&D annually. It has also established joint laboratories with six universities worldwide.

In his speech, Bai Yunfeng also introduced TAL Education's exploration in educational public welfare. The TAL-supported "Same Classroom" teaching project has cumulatively provided teaching support for 181,944 hours, covering 11 provinces and 38 schools, spanning nearly 50,000 kilometers. In addition, TAL Education has joined hands with various regions such as Jimunai in Xinjiang, Xiong'an in Hebei, Foping in Shaanxi, Wangmo in Guizhou, and Daliangshan in Sichuan to promote education and poverty alleviation, striving to make education more inclusive.

Finally, Bai Yunfeng concluded his speech with a contemplation that began with Go: "In the game of Go, every piece is equal. Similarly, every child is a unique individual and deserves respect. Our understanding of the world is still very limited, but our exploration of the future of education has never stopped."

TAL Education's Educational Products Shine at the GES Summit Exhibition Area

As a grand gathering of the education technology industry, the GES Summit specially set up a technology exhibition area.

"Hello!" "Yes?" "Where are you from?" "I come from the robot planet." At TAL's booth, a learning robot capable of conversing in English with children attracted many visitors. This is an educational intelligent robot jointly developed by TAL's Liulishuo English and the AI solution provider, ROOBO. The small robot can intelligently adapt to children's English competence, integrate and intelligently push AI foreign teacher pronunciation, AI foreign teacher interactive classes, online reading, original English songs, animations and other learning functions. With rich intelligent interaction forms, big data ability and intelligent algorithms, it provides children with a companion for learning English all day long.

TAL Education's booth attracted many guests to experience

Cheng Fangping, a professor at the School of Education at Renmin University of China, showed strong interest in the educational tools exhibited by Mobius Thinking, a subsidiary of TAL Education Group. The booth displayed a music box assembled by children under the guidance of teachers. The motor and gear cooperated to drive the mallet to strike the keys rhythmically, playing the melody of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." During the production process, children can not only exercise their hands-on ability but also gain a direct understanding of scientific principles such as levers and gears. Professor Cheng Fangping believes that this educational method represents advanced educational concepts. Professor Cheng also suggested that as an excellent domestic technology education company, TAL Education can integrate Chinese elements such as Nine Rings and Luban Lock into product design, allowing children to enjoy and experience traditional culture while learning.

The "OCR Intelligent Homework Correction Mini Program" and "AI Teacher English 1-on-1" by TAL Mobby, which shone brightly at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, once again appeared at the GES Summit exhibition area. The "Intelligent Homework Correction System" based on OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology can accurately and efficiently identify children's handwriting, providing real-time homework correction. The "AI Teacher English 1-on-1" system incorporates AI technology such as expression recognition, voice recognition, and assessment, allowing children to immerse themselves in an all-English environment and practice English speaking and listening at any time and any place. These two technological products effectively meet children's personalized learning needs.

Participation in Multiple Sessions and Joint Discussions on the Future of Education with the Industry

On the first day of the conference, in addition to Bai Yunfeng's keynote speech, Wu Ying, President of TAL Education's Quality Education Business Unit, served as the host of the roundtable discussion "Exploration: Education Now and in the Future," with various conference guests. TAL Education Group's Chief Investment Officer in the United States, Chen Dinghong, and the renowned American tennis player Agassi, discussed the theme "Seizing Opportunity, Originating from Education," exploring the spirit of sports and character molding. Wang Lu, Vice President of Smart Education at TAL Education, moderated the roundtable on "Public Education vs. Private Education: How to Complement Each Other," discussing the integration and development of public and private education with various educational experts.

The GES Summit lasts for three days. In the coming schedule, TAL Education Group's co-founder and COO, Liu Yachao, will share the stage with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak to jointly discuss the theme "Education and Technology: The Symbiotic Relationship of the Future," exploring how technology and humanities resonate and release new energy. Bai Yunfeng will also attend a special sub-forum on educational cooperation, sharing TAL's global exploration and thoughts. In addition, relevant responsible persons from TAL's business units will participate in multiple sub-forum activities, jointly discussing the future of education with the entire industry.

In the new situation of technological innovation, industrial integration, and policy support, education, as one of the most innovative fields, is releasing a new, mighty driving force for development, and Chinese education is facing the world with a transformative posture. The newly redefined TAL is now facing the wave of educational development with a whole new outlook, continuously exploring the essence of education, and striving to move towards the vision of "becoming a respected education institution."