The “2nd Annual Conference of the Chinese Education Association” was successfully held on July 10–11 at the Education University of Hong Kong, organized by the Chinese Education Association and hosted by the Education University of Hong Kong. Under the theme “Holistic Development in the Digital Age: Chinese Perspectives and Practices in a Global Context”, the conference explored cutting-edge issues and trends in education.

Faculty members and students from the School of Education, City University of Macau were invited to participate in this prestigious event. Under the supervision of Assistant Professor Dai Yi, Pang He Qian hui, a master’s student in Teaching Studies, delivered an academic presentation entitled ‘Enhancing Exploratory Learning Through EFL in K-12 with the LLMs: Insights from SECI Model’.

Drawing on practical cases, the study illustrated how large language models (LLMs), supported by the SECI model, can empower language teaching with technology, providing implications for instructional practice in basic education.

The conference featured active academic exchanges and insightful sharing among participants in a vibrant scholarly atmosphere. Pang He Qian hui expressed that she had benefited greatly from the experience: “Presenting my research at this annual education conference has been an extremely valuable learning opportunity. I was also honored to consult Professor Jiang Kai, Dean of the Graduate School of Education, Peking University, and to learn from leading scholars and experts from mainland China and overseas. This has not only broadened my academic horizons but also deepened my understanding of my future research direction through their profound insights and constructive feedback.”

The conference aimed to address frontier issues concerning human development and educational transformation amid rapid technological advancement. By bringing together diverse perspectives, the discussions helped clarify how digital technologies can enhance academic learning and support students’ social-emotional well-being, ethics, and mental health. From a holistic approach, this is critical to nurturing students to adapt to the digital and globalized society.