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Dr. Liu Dejian Attended UN High-level Expert Group Meeting at UN Headquarters

Dr. Liu Dejian, Founder and Chairman of NetDragon, was invited by High Representative Rabab Fatima to attend the United Nations ("UN") High-level Expert Group Meeting held at UN Headquarters in New York from June 3rd to 4th. Dr. Liu discussed topics related to establishing an Online University for STEM education in the Least Developed Countries ("LDCs") with UN officials and global educational leaders. As a special guest, Dr. Liu also delivered a keynote speech at the opening session, highlighting how "AI + Education" can promote equitable and high-quality education in LDCs. Dr. Liu also shared NetDragon's various innovations and successful experiences in AI+ education, receiving warm feedback and strong recognition from attendees.

Ms. Rabab Fatima remarked that Dr. Liu's expertise in digital education design would provide critical value to the meeting's success.

Dr. Liu Dejian (middle), attended the UN High-level Expert Group Meeting

On-Demand Learning: Reshaping Opportunities for Youth in LDCs

LDCs face multifaceted challenges, including scarce quality educational resources, inadequate classroom infrastructure, and curricula misaligned with local needs. To propel STEM education and digital inclusion across 44 LDCs, fostering socio-economic progress and expanding opportunities for youth, Dr. Liu proposed the groundbreaking concept of "On-Demand Learning". This framework is anchored in five principles: breaking down complex tasks into clear steps, 1 incorporating essential background knowledge in each step, embedding learning in real-world tasks, evolving in line with industry advancements, and being fully adaptable for localized content, aiming to deliver more practical, inclusive, and context-relevant education.

Dr. Liu called for global collaboration under UN leadership and highlighted three key initiatives: encouraging global developers to co-create open-source tools under the UN's leadership; calling for global sharing of standardized STEM curricula and case studies; and encouraging profound involvement from companies offering STEM-related career opportunities worldwide.

Dr. Liu Dejian (right) and Professor Huang Ronghuai (left), Co-Dean of the Smart Learning Institute at Beijing Normal University

Data revealed at the meeting underscored the urgency: LDCs' Gross Enrollment Ratio in higher education stands at 11%, far below the global average of 40%. This gap highlights the need for scaled investments in higher education, particularly STEM, to drive innovation, economic growth, and global competitiveness. 

Dr. Liu's proposal aligns seamlessly with the UN Online University (UNOU) vision for a digital and open education model, offering actionable solutions for LDCs' education transformation while mirroring NetDragon's AI + Education strategy.

AI + Education: Redefining the Educational Ecosystem

With the rapid advancement of AI and frontier technologies, global education is poised for profound transformation. In his keynote, Dr. Liu emphasized: "In the artificial intelligence era, we are now presented with an unprecedented opportunity to rethink STEM education: to reconsider what knowledge learners truly need to acquire, what tasks can be supported or delegated to technology, and how we can design learning to be not only more effective but also more inclusive and context sensitive."

NetDragon has strategically deployed AI + Education, establishing an AI Production Center, powered by cutting-edge large language models (LLMs) and specialized AI tools. This system drives the creation of high-quality educational content through a fully automated, structured pipeline—from demand analysis to content generation and large database building. Currently, 100% of the Company's educational content creation involves AI assistance, with the production time for a typical high-quality lesson reduced to just one hour and marginal production costs lowered to the level of a hundred RMB. The system also dramatically reduces the overall percentage of human intervention. Beyond content, NetDragon's AI-powered products, such as AI Courseware and AI Reading Companions, adapt to students' progress and comprehension, dynamically adjusting learning goals and course content.

NetDragon's AI-generated "Exquisite Learning Modules" teaching resources employ high-precision visuals and inquiry-based learning methods to help students intuitively grasp the process and principles of photosynthesis.

Looking ahead, NetDragon's AI Production Center will feed a growing repository of high-quality educational content into EDA, its vision for an education metaverse. EDA aims to build a borderless global learning community rooted in three principles: technology democratization, resource co-creation, and the incentive mechanism.

The MHESI Skill platform, an AI education platform co-developed by NetDragon and Thailand's Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation ("MHESI"), has been officially launched recently. It offers EV-focused training programs to the youth in Thailand. This platform represents a highly customized and locally deployed model of EDA.

Educational Mission: Building a Better Future

Since entering the education sector in 2010, NetDragon has been driven by its mission to "dedicate all wisdom and strength to education", establishing a tripartite ecosystem encompassing content resources, tool solutions, and platform channels. Leveraging its legacy in internet gaming and mobile internet, the company has digitized vast offline educational resources, presenting them through VR/AR and AI technologies to enhance teaching immersion and efficacy.

Simultaneously, building upon its extensive technological reserves in AI, big data, and virtual reality, NetDragon has amassed millions of 3D modular assets and 1.4 million K12 learning objectives, while establishing a global offline distribution network for educational products.

Capitalizing on its technological and resource advantages in internet and digital education, NetDragon has forged in-depth collaborations with globally influential institutions like UNESCO and Beijing Normal University, while forming strategic partnerships with over 20 Belt and Road Initiative countries. Its educational footprint now spans 190+ countries and regions worldwide.

In Thailand, the AI education platform co-developed with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) has officially launched, delivering EV-focused training to local youth. In Serbia, the Belgrade Robotics and AI Education Center, jointly established by NetDragon, has become the Balkans' most advanced digital education and AI lab, with about 4,000 Serbian teachers undergoing phased ICT training. In Nigeria, NetDragon supports the development of national platforms including the Public Service Platform for Educational Resources, Teaching Community Network, Digital Talent Development Platform, and Future Education Experience Center. Additionally, through its partnership with UNESCO IITE, NetDragon launched the "Teacher e-Library" online platform, providing open educational resources, free tools, and hybrid training to approximately 100,000 educators globally.

Dr. Liu Dejian emphasized that NetDragon, backed by its robust R&D capabilities, aims to collaborate with global partners to co-develop inclusive tools, lower technical barriers, and bridge education with real-world productivity, thereby empowering learners in LDCs. "Together, let us redefine opportunity for youth in the Least Developed Countries—because when we equip them with STEM skills, we invest in a better future for all."