The opening ceremony and Plenary was moderated by Wang Xuming, the president of Language & Culture Press as well as the former spokesman of Ministry of Education. The EFA initiators, Kirti Nidhi Bista (the former prime minister of Nepal), Lee Soo Sung (former prime minister of the Republic of Korea), and other important guests like Mohan MUNASINGHE, Vice Chair of UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-AR4) and Colaureate of 2007 Nobel Peace Prize , Mehmet KOSE, Vice Chairman of Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities, Rashid ALIMOV, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Tajikistan to China, Ismail Mohamed Djama, Charge d’ Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Djibouti to China, and Gerhard STAHL, the Secretary-General of European Committee of Regions, all have delivered exciting speeches under the theme of “Green Education and Sustainable Development”, giving detailed introductions about the progress of green education in their own countries and expressing the shared desire of building a green and sustainable planet.
The conference has drawn a great deal of attention from all walks of life. Zhong Binglin, President of Chinese Society of Education, Guo Fuchang, Honorary Director of Preschool Education Committee of the Chinese Association for Non-governmental Education, Zhu Shihong, Director of Sichuan Education Department, Liu Meng, Deputy Director of Sichuan Bureau of Expo Affaires, Mu Tao, the Director of Chengdu Bureau of Expo Affaires, Dai Jiagan, Executive Vice Chair of China Education Society, Hai Wen, Vice Chancellor of Peking University, Zhang Huacheng, Dean of HSBC School of Peking University, Shiue Fujiing, President of Taipei University, Wong Kin Mou ,Head of Department of Research and Education Resources of Macau have attended the opening ceremony.
Delegates range from statesmen, diplomats, scholars, entrepreneurs to journalists from Australia, Canada, France, ROK, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, United States, Turkey, Malaysia, Chad, Djibouti, United Kingdom, Laos, Poland, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Japan, Tajikistan, Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and other countries and regions all gathered together. 30-odd local schools and education institution have also taken part in the conference.
The twoday conference was centered in 5 themes: Diversified Demand and Supply in Training Market, Ecological Education and Sustainable Business, Art Education and Culture Development, Media Education Facing the Challenge of New Media, International Early Childhood Education. The award ceremonies of scholarship universities and the 8th photographic contest have also held simultaneously during the conference.
The Education Forum for Asia is supported by Boao Forum for Asia, UNESCO, and Chinese Scholarship Council and initiated by Kirti Nidhi Bista, former Prime Minister of Nepal, Jenny Shipley, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Fidel V Ramos, former President of the Philippines, Sergey Terechshenko, former Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Sheldon Shaeffer, Director of UNESCO Bangkok, and Lee Soo Sung, former Prime Minister, Republic of Korea in 2003 with the aim of establishing a highlevel platform for dialogue on education development and help Asia cope with challenges.
China Central Television, China Educational Television, Xinhua Net, Sina.Com, China Daily, China Youth News, China Education Daily, China Economic Times, Jurisprudence Daily, China National Radio, Peoples Daily Online, International Business Daily, China Business Journal, Hong Kong Commercial Daily, Ta Kung Pao, WenWei Po, Youku Video Net and local mainstream media have reported the conference. The Sohu is lively broadcasting the conference and specifically created a website for this annual conference.