Bandung, January 5, 2026 — The Director of SEAMEO CECCEP, Prof. Vina Adriany, Ph.D, served as a speaker at the 14th SEAMEO–The University of Tsukuba Symposium 2026, held under the theme “Empowering Learning Futures: Digital Transformation for Equitable and Sustainable Education.” This symposium is an international forum that brings together education stakeholders from Southeast Asia and Japan to discuss digital transformation in education, promoting equity and sustainability.
The symposium explored how digital transformation can be strategically leveraged to address foundational learning gaps, particularly in literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skills. Discussions highlighted that digitalization alone does not automatically result in more equitable education, especially in regions that continue to face disparities in infrastructure, geographic conditions, access to technology, and learners’ socio-economic backgrounds. Therefore, digital transformation must be intentionally designed to reach the most underserved groups, including children, out-of-school youth, and marginalized communities.
During the expert panel sessions, speakers discussed challenges, lessons learned, and effective practices in utilizing digital technology to strengthen foundational learning and prevent the widening of educational inequalities. The discussions also emphasized the importance of data-driven policies, strong education governance, and cross-sector collaboration in supporting inclusive and sustainable educational transformation.
On this occasion, Prof. Vina Adriany, Ph.D., The Director of SEAMEO CECCEP participated as a panelist and delivered a presentation highlighting early childhood education as a critical foundation for educational transformation. She emphasized that equitable access to quality early childhood education is a fundamental prerequisite for successful learning at subsequent education levels. Prof. Vina noted that significant challenges remain in providing early childhood education services, including in major urban areas, making equity of access a key priority in education policy development.
Furthermore, Prof. Vina stressed that digital transformation in early childhood education should not be understood merely as the provision of technology, but rather as a process that takes into account local contexts, language, culture, affordability, and ethical considerations in the use of technology for young children. She also underscored the importance of partnerships among educational institutions, parents, and communities in ensuring learning continuity and child protection in the digital era.
The symposium concluded with interactive discussion and question-and-answer sessions that addressed concrete strategies for designing digital transformation initiatives that are equity- and inclusion-oriented. Through this symposium, it is expected that a shared commitment will be strengthened among countries and education stakeholders to enhance foundational learning and to build more equitable, resilient, and sustainable education systems, beginning with early childhood education.
Share This News