Global experts explore ways to nurture engineering talent in AI era at Shanghai forum

(CNS Shanghai) — The 2025 International Forum on Innovative Talents and Engineering Education was held Wednesday in Shanghai, focusing on how to cultivate engineering talent in the artificial intelligence era.

The event highlighted that as global industrial chains undergo profound restructuring driven by digital technologies, green energy, and artificial intelligence, the demand for interdisciplinary engineering talent has reached unprecedented levels. Traditional education models, however, are facing challenges in fostering cross-disciplinary integration and maintaining meaningful industry engagement.

Co-hosted by the National Innovation Center par Excellence (NICE) and the University of Birmingham, the forum brought together nearly 150 delegates, including leaders from over 50 prestigious universities across China, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Australia, Turkey, South Africa, Singapore, and other countries. Representatives from research institutions, industry leaders, and innovation organizations also participated, exploring new pathways for industry-education integration and international collaboration in talent development.

Against the backdrop of accelerating digital and green transitions worldwide, the forum emphasized the urgent need to cultivate interdisciplinary engineering capabilities.

Participants shared innovative strategies and scalable solutions in parallel sessions focusing on key themes such as: future industry-oriented transformation of engineering education, the new AI-driven paradigm of engineering education, and cultivating engineering talents for dealing with future challenges through co-op education.

UNESCO representative Yoslan Nur underscored in a special address that “In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, international collaboration in engineering education is no longer an option — it is a necessity. Forums like this play a vital role in building bridges between nations and developing inclusive, future-ready education models that meet the needs of our world.”

The University of Birmingham shared its industry-embedded educational model, which integrates corporate requirements with research initiatives, and tailored talent development programs, offering valuable insights for global partners. 

Participants showed strong interest in continuing cross-border partnerships and developing concrete projects to support the next generation of talent for the global technology landscape.