NTNU Partners with IB to Host First IBEC Conference in Asia
The International Baccalaureate (IB) partnered with NTNU to host the 2025 International Baccalaureate Educator Certificate Conference (IBEC Conference) in Taipei from 15 to 17 August. This was the first time the IBEC Conference has been held in Asia.
The IB program, offered in more than 5,900 primary and secondary schools across 160 countries, selected NTNU, long committed to international education, as host for this gathering. More than 150 participants attended, with over half representing 12 countries abroad. The conference provided an opportunity for IB educators in Taiwan, including teachers from public and private schools as well as university researchers, to engage directly with international colleagues. The exchange highlighted new possibilities for the localized development of IB education in Taiwan and across Asia.
Conference Theme and Discussions
The theme of the 2025 IBEC Conference was “Empowering Educators to Thrive in a Changing World.” Sessions addressed both academic research and classroom practice, focusing on professional growth, innovative approaches to teaching, and sustaining holistic education while maintaining international standards.
NTNU’s Role in IB Development
In his opening remarks, Prof. Cheng-Chih Wu, President of NTNU, recalled the university’s collaboration with the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) since 2018, which made NTNU the only higher education institution in Taiwan to offer IB courses. These courses are available free of charge to NTNU students, preparing a new generation of educators with IB philosophy and pedagogy, and strengthening their international mobility and career competitiveness.
Wu emphasized that this partnership reflects NTNU’s leadership in education and its role as one of Taiwan’s Model Bilingual Universities. Founded in 1922, NTNU has grown into a comprehensive international university while maintaining a strong position in educational research. He expressed the hope that the three-day conference would affirm education as a force for positive global change, encouraging participants to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, share experiences, and form lasting partnerships.
Global Perspectives
Nicole Bien, Chief Schools Officer at the IBO, noted that global education faces multiple challenges, including climate change, geopolitical conflict, and unequal access to resources. She underscored IB’s vision of “shared prosperity for humanity and the planet,” stressing the importance of developing the capacity to solve complex problems in the era of artificial intelligence, while also respecting diverse systems of knowledge.
Bien emphasized that educators and leaders are central to meaningful change and highlighted the important role of the IBEC community. Conference sessions and presentations explored student success, learning communities, leadership, and the impact of AI, with the aim of advancing sustainable educational development through cross-cultural dialogue.
Keynote Lectures
Three keynote speakers were invited to bridge academic research and classroom practice:
• Prof. Chin-Chung Tsai, Professor and Dean of the School of Learning Informatics, NTNU, and Honorary Lifetime National Chair Professor, delivered the keynote “What Is ‘Learning’? The Role of Conceptions of Learning in Technology-enhanced Learning Environments.”
• Dr. Akira Shah, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellow and researcher on IB teaching at Keio University, presented “Internationalizing the International Baccalaureate: Tapping into IBEC’s Innovative Capacity for a More Humanly Representative Education.”
• Dr. Jennifer Merriman, Global Director of Research, Policy & Design at the IBO, gave the keynote “IB Research Now and for the Future,” highlighting the importance of continued innovation, research, and the well-being of students and teachers.
Academic Exchange and Research
The program included nearly 30 academic paper presentations and two poster sessions, all conducted in English to encourage broad participation from international and domestic educators. Topics covered innovative teaching and learning, effective models for teacher professional development, the development and optimization of IB and IBEC education, and localized applications of IB philosophy.
Faculty and students from NTNU’s IBEC program contributed six research presentations, focused on new approaches to teaching and learning. The conference served as a forum for both theoretical depth and practical application, and facilitated collaboration between NTNU, domestic IB schools, and international IBEC universities to strengthen professionalization and exchange across contexts.
Cultural Exchange and Learning Celebration
The conference was organized by NTNU’s College of Teacher Education with support from other university units, and also offered opportunities to experience Taiwan’s cultural traditions.
On the opening day, 40 international IB educators visited Binjiang Junior High School and Taipei Kuei Shan School to discuss how global learning goals can be integrated with localized practices that nurture students’ individual talents. The opening ceremony featured a martial arts performance by students from Taipei Municipal Changan Elementary School and a traditional glove puppet performance by the I Wan Jan Puppet Theater in NTNU’s Wen-Hui Hall.
On the second day, NTNU’s Mandarin Training Center offered hands-on workshops in calligraphy and lei-cha tea making, giving participants direct experience of Chinese cultural practices. The evening banquet at the Grand Hotel, held in the 12th-floor Kun Lun Room, featured a performance by NTNU’s student string orchestra in the historic setting. These events provided opportunities for intercultural exchange and introduced participants to Taiwan’s educational and cultural environment.
Advancing IB Education in Taiwan and Beyond
IB education is grounded in holistic education, combining international perspectives, critical thinking, and rigorous curricula and assessments. More than 50 universities in 16 countries now offer IBEC programs. Since NTNU launched its IBEC teacher training program in 2018, it has been recognized by the IB for strong results, leading to the selection of Taiwan as host for the 2025 conference.
As the first institution in Asia to host an IBEC Conference, NTNU not only brought international visibility to Taiwan but also provided a professional platform for dialogue, collaboration, and long-term partnerships, working together with global colleagues to promote high-quality international education.