On 8 November 2024, YCCECE and Shanghai Donghai Vocational and Technical College jointly organized the Inaugural International Forum on Early Childhood Education. The theme of this forum is: Supporting Teacher Professional Development to Achieve Healthy Growth for Children. It focuses on providing high-quality early childhood education that fosters the healthy, harmonious, and comprehensive development of preschoolers. The event aims to offer both theoretical support and practical guidance for cultivating high-quality early childhood education professionals who can meet contemporary demands.

The forum pooled universities, education researchers, and early childhood education practitioners from domestic and international backgrounds. Through the exchange, participants explored and discussed high-quality training mechanisms for pre-service and in-service teachers. Attending academia from YCCECE includes Prof Shi Ping, Dr Crystal Zheng, and Dr Ana Aracelly Olguin.

Professor Xu Tiemei, Dean of the School of Education of Shanghai Donghai Vocational and Technical College, hosted the opening ceremony. Professor He Ying, President of the College, delivered the welcome address, expressing sincere gratitude and a warm welcome to the attending early childhood education experts and teachers. She elaborated on the value of preschool education from the four perspectives in Chinese education: "free-range," "scattered-range," "captive-range," and "lost direction".

Mr Kevin Huai, Director of Mainland Development and Triangular Region at YCCECE, and General Manager of Shanghai Yew Wah Education Management Co, stated in his opening remarks that YCCECE and Shanghai Donghai Vocational and Technical College are aligned in their educational philosophy and are committed to promoting teacher professional development and children's healthy growth while jointly fulfilling their educational promises.

The morning session  was hosted by Dr. Yu Enxiu, Vice Dean of the School of Education at Shanghai Donghai Vocational and Technical College. Professor Hou Yanhua, Head of the Preschool Education Department at Shanghai Donghai Vocational and Technical College, introduced the challenges of curriculum design for preschool education programs in vocational colleges. Dr. Crystal Zheng,  Dean of Studies at YCCECE, shared the "student-centered" teacher training programs for preschool education at YCCECE. South African early childhood education expert Ms Nicky Weir delivered a keynote on "It takes a village to raise a child" exploring the importance of practical guidance in enhancing teachers' professional abilities.

In the roundtable forum on "Core Competencies of Kindergarten Teachers," guests shared educational philosophies and practices from different cultural backgrounds, offering international perspectives and profound insights. The experts discussed how to design diverse courses under the same curriculum framework to meet the evolving educational demands and cater to the individualized learning needs of children in the context of artificial intelligence.

The afternoon session was hosted by Professor Shi Ping, Director of the Chor Hang Education Research Institute and Mainland Development at YCCECE. Dr Ana Aracelly Olguin delivered an expert talk on "Effective Practices in Supporting the Continuing Professional Development of In-service Early Childhood Teachers", emphasizing the importance of ongoing professional development for in-service teachers and exploring how lifelong learning and growth mindsets can enhance teaching quality and student achievement.

During the live research and discussion session, front-line teachers engaged in discussions on the theme "Discovering Teachers, Discovering Children, Growing Together" and viewed relevant kindergarten videos. Experts highlighted that "play is the real learning" and that education should respect and trust children, rather than relying on empty preaching. This idea sparked deep reflection, and attendees unanimously agreed that the essence of early childhood education lies in fostering children's healthy growth. This research session also explored new paths for building research and training bases for collaboration between universities and kindergartens.

In the interactive segment of the forum, the question "What kind of child do you see? And what kind of self do you see?" prompted educators to focus on self-reflection and growth. Experts further emphasized that professional development should build learning communities, fostering collaboration and exchange to promote teacher growth and children's holistic development.

This forum not only provided a platform for academic exchange and intellectual dialogue but also created opportunities for sharing international educational experiences, marking a significant step forward in the collaboration between YCCECE and Shanghai Donghai Vocational and Technical College in the field of early childhood education.