UM hosts International Conference on Digital Literacy and IAS Annual Conference

The 1st International Conference on Digital Literacy and the 5th Annual Conference of the Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (IAS), organised by IAS at the University of Macau (UM), commenced today (19 November) and will be held until tomorrow. The two-day event has brought together over 50 experts and scholars from prestigious institutions around the world, including the University of Oxford, the University of Vienna, Peking University, and the Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Under the theme ‘Shaping the Future of Digital Literacy: Concepts, Evaluation, and Inclusion’, the conference explores digital literacy from multidisciplinary perspectives, including law, the humanities, society, and technology, fostering in-depth discussions and exchanges.

During the opening ceremony, Teng Sio Hong, deputy director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau of Macao SAR government, highlighted that nurturing digitally literate talent is crucial to enhancing the competitiveness of both the country and Macao, as well as vital to developing new quality productive forces that drive industry transformation. Yonghua Song, rector of UM, noted that this year’s conference closely aligns with critical societal issues, which can help advance a vision for a more inclusive, ethical, and human-centred digital future. Yu Xingzhong, director of IAS, emphasised that the conference serves as a cornerstone for research on digital literacy, addressing the current serious neglect of the topic and transforming the digital era into one of empowerment for all.

The conference features three keynote speeches, six panel discussions, and two roundtable sessions, covering a range of emerging topics, including ‘Fundamental Concepts and Theoretical Frameworks of Digital Literacy’, ‘Digital Literacy and Education’, ‘Digital Literacy for Vulnerable Groups’, ‘Gender, Family and Digital Technology’, ‘Data Registration and Application’, and ‘The Application of AI in Education’.