The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) launched, on December 9, 2025, during the International Conference on ICT and Accessibility in Kuwait, the Arab–Chinese cooperation initiative to establish the Joint Artificial Intelligence Laboratory for Special Education, a step aimed at enhancing scientific research and innovation in inclusive education for persons with disabilities.
The official announcement was made during a ceremony chaired by Dr. Mohamed Jemni and Dr. Ronghuai Huang.
The laboratory serves as an advanced platform for developing AI technologies, educational robotics, adaptive systems, and digital solutions that support special education; thereby contributing to improving quality of education and expanding digital access opportunities for learners with special needs.
The founding phase of the laboratory involved ALECSO, Beijing Normal University in China, and Kuwait College of Science and Technology. Other entities from Tunisia and Portugal later joined to strengthen Arab–Chinese cooperation and build a wide scientific network in this vital field.
The initiative focuses on developing smart learning environments, enhancing the sharing of expertise and research, and building multilingual and multicultural databases to support advanced studies in special education. It also seeks to support national policies for digital inclusion and implementing joint training programs and research projects that contribute to developing special education services in Arab countries.
The launch of this joint laboratory constitutes a qualitative leap in Arab–Chinese joint efforts to harness artificial intelligence in the service of inclusive education. It embodies a shared vision for promoting digital equity and enabling persons with disabilities to benefit from the latest educational technologies.
