In response to national strategic initiatives such as “Building China into an Education Power” and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the “2025 Annual Meeting of the Guangdong-Hong-Kong-Macao Education Quality Monitoring and Evaluation Alliance and the International Forum on Frontiers in Educational Assessment” hosted by the Faculty of Education of the University of Macau and co-organized by the Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University and the Faculty of Education of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, was successfully held at the Faculty of Education of the University of Macau from 22 to 24 November 2025. This year’s forum focused on emerging theories and methods in educational assessment, technological applications in educational assessment, design and implementation of large-scale assessments, assessments of emerging competencies, and policies related to educational quality monitoring and evaluation, attracting scholars from overseas.

The forum marked the third annual meeting of the Guangdong-Hong-Kong-Macao Education Quality Monitoring and Evaluation Alliance. In the opening remarks, Prof. Lianghuo FAN, Dean and Director of the Centre for STEM and AI Education of the Faculty of Education of the University of Macau, pointed out that AI is reshaping tools and methods of educational assessment, and that the complementary advantages of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao in education and research make this forum an important platform for promoting collaboration.  Prof. Tao XIN, Director of the Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, and Prof. Xitao FAN, Dean of the Faculty of Education at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, also recognized in their remarks the collaborative achievements among the three regions in the field of educational quality monitoring and assessment. They noted that, amid ongoing educational transformation and rapid technological development, strengthening regional collaboration, deepening cross-regional research, and advancing methodological innovation are essential for enhancing education quality and supporting students’ holistic development.

The forum featured eleven keynote speeches of exceptional depth and insight. Dr. Randy Elliot BENNETT from Educational Testing Service (ETS), USA, introduced the latest developments in longitudinal assessment, remote testing, and AI, emphasizing that the validity and fairness of assessment remain fundamental. Prof. Ying CUI from the University of Alberta, Canada, shared an approach using AI conversational agents to assess critical thinking by analyzing students’ linguistic interactions, presenting a more authentic picture of their reasoning processes. Dr. Gavin FULMER from DataKind, USA, presented an AI-supported early-warning and learning-support system for university STEM students. Prof. Ummugul BEZIRHAN from Boston College, USA, introduced applications of AI in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), including automated item generation, scoring, and attribute classification. Prof. Xiaoming ZHAI from the University of Georgia, USA, examined opportunities and challenges of AI-based assessment in science education, highlighting the need to address potential biases introduced by technology. Prof. Kit-tai HAU from The Chinese University of Hong Kong discussed non-cognitive assessment and demonstrated how cross-cultural comparisons may be affected by differences in response styles, recommending the use of relational indicators between variables instead of mean-score comparisons to enhance the policy relevance of research findings.

At the same time, Prof. Tao XIN from Beijing Normal University discussed the concept of integrating learning and assessment, highlighting the shift of assessment purposes from selection to supporting learning. Prof. Ping CHEN from Beijing Normal University demonstrated the use of the COLumnwise Neural Interpolation algorithm for imputing missing ordinal responses in psychological measurement data. Prof. Thomas Kin-fung CHIU from The Chinese University of Hong Kong discussed the role of AI in automated scoring and in assessing complex competencies, emphasizing that future assessment practices will involve collaboration among teachers, students, and AI. Prof. Weicong LYU from the University of Macau shared applications of regularization methods in detecting differential item functioning and in item response theory. Prof. Lele SHA from the University of Macau used legal-writing and learning-analytics examples to illustrate the effectiveness of AI in providing formative feedback.

A series of workshops titled “Applications of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Educational Assessment and Data Collection in Large-Scale International Assessments” was held concurrently. Led by Prof. Fu CHEN from the University of Macau, Dr. Randy E. BENNETT from ETS, Prof. Kit Tai HAU from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Prof. Luyang GUO from the University of Macau, the workshops covered topics such as the use of machine learning in data processing and model building, generative AI in item development, interpreting large-scale data to understand educational systems, and cultural and response-style differences in cross-regional comparisons. The hands-on sessions received enthusiastic acclaim from participants.

The forum also included many parallel sessions covering AI-supported mathematics remediation, student response-process analysis, cross-cultural scientific literacy, and education policy research. Presenters from universities across mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and overseas engaged in lively exchange, highlighting the vitality and promise of emerging scholars in the field.

Combining rigorous scholarship with practical relevance, the 2025 forum vividly demonstrated the collaborative strengths of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao in educational quality monitoring and assessment, while establishing a robust foundation for continued regional cooperation, methodological innovation, and evidence-informed policymaking.

Prof. Lianghuo FAN	Prof. Tao XIN
Prof. Xitao FAN	Presented the souvenirs to the keynote speakers
Presented the souvenirs to the keynote speakers	Group photo
Prof. Xiufeng LIU	Dr. Randy Elliot BENNETT
Prof. Ying CUI	Dr. Gavin William FULMER
Prof. Hok Chio LAI	Prof. Ummugul BEZIRHAN
Prof. Xiaoming ZHAI	Prof. Kit-tai HAU
Prof. Fu CHEN	Prof. Tao XIN
Prof. Ping CHEN	Prof. Chun Seng KAM
Prof. Thomas Kin-fung CHIU	Prof. Weicong LYU
Prof. Lele SHA	Concurrent session

Thank you for your kind attention.

Faculty of Education