Abidjan, Wednesday, November 13, 2025 – Returning from a technology immersion trip to China as part of the “UNESCO Africa - Asia Youth AI Education Exchange and Development – Îlot School” project, one (1) Ivorian teacher and seven (7) students expressed their gratitude to the Minister of National Education and Literacy, Professor Mariatou Koné. The meeting took place on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at her office in Abidjan-Plateau.
Initiated by UNESCO and the Chinese platform CODEMAO, specialized in programming and digital education, this project aligns with the fourth pillar of the General States of Education and Literacy (EGENA), specifically the promotion of digital education. It aims to foster coding and artificial intelligence (AI) skills among students and teachers in Africa and Asia, while leveraging these emerging technologies for sustainable development.
“Learning coding and AI places our students at the heart of educational modernity,” explained Professor Mariatou Koné, adding: “This is an initiative to encourage and expand to all schools in Côte d’Ivoire,” particularly as it aligns with the vision of President Alassane Ouattara.
The Minister stressed that the program goes beyond learning to code; it aims to train creative, responsible citizens who are aware of the ethical challenges in the digital world. Her department is committed to addressing this challenge through ongoing curriculum reforms in the Ivorian education system.
Omar Diop, UNESCO Resident Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, praised Minister Koné’s leadership and Côte d’Ivoire’s progress in implementing the National Strategy for Digitalization of Education.
Previously skeptical about AI, seeing it as a potential threat to education, supervising teacher Mr. Konan acknowledged that the immersion trip allowed him to discover that AI could “revolutionize our teaching practices.” He added, “What impressed me most was the discipline and rigor observed in the Chinese education system.”
“We learned a lot about programming and AI, but also about the spirit of sharing. We return motivated to become digital ambassadors for the development of our country,” said N’Dri Koffi Ange, a student at Lycée d’Excellence Alassane Ouattara.
For Kouassi Anaëlle, a first-year student at Lycée Sainte-Marie de Cocody, the program offered a new perspective on life through visits to robotics and AI centers. “This experience has helped me strengthen my self-confidence,” she said.
This exchange program, which involves five countries including Côte d’Ivoire, represents another step toward integrating Ivorian youth into the global digital economy.