The Open University Confucius Institute Co-Hosts the 2025 (21st) International ChinaCALL Conference

The Open University Confucius Institute Co-Hosts the 2025 (21^st) International ChinaCALL Conference  

From September 19 to 21, 2025, the 21st ChinaCALL Conference on was successfully held at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The conference was hosted by Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association, China Association for Comparative Studies of English and Chinese (ChinaCALL), organised by Institute of Online Education, Artificial Intelligence and Human Languages Lab, at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), and College of Foreign Languages at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA). The Online Confucius Institute at the Open University (UK) served as a key co-organiser, actively participating throughout and promoting academic exchange. 

 Themed “Innovating CALL, Innovating Pedagogy,” the conference brought together nearly 200 experts and scholars from 64 universities across 16 countries. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on core topics such as computer-assisted language teaching theories, emerging technology applications in education, and technology-empowered teacher development. These exchanges took place through keynote speeches, invited talks, parallel sessions, roundtable discussions, and educational product showcases. 

At the opening ceremony, Professor Klaus-Dieter ROSSADE  from the Open University delivered a keynote speech titled Assessment Futures: Creating Quality and Fit-for-Purpose Assessment for All. In a parallel session, Dr. KAN Qian, Director of OCI at the Open University, and Professor TANG Jinlan from Beijing Foreign Studies University jointly presented a report titled An Introduction to Virtual Exchange (VE): A Case Study of a VE Teacher Training Programme. Professor Mirjam HAUCK from the Open University delivered an invited online talk titled Critical Virtual Exchange: At the Interface of Critical CALL, Critical Digital Literacy, and Critical Global Citizenship Education. Additionally, Dr. Zsuzsanna BARKANYI  from the Open University shared two research outcomes: Breakout Rooms or Breakdown? Understanding Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety Online and Teaching Spanish Pronunciation with Purpose: Pedagogical Uses of Oral Learner Corpora.  

Over the three-day conference, scholars from the Open University shared Good practices in distance education and international Chinese education, while forging stronger collaborative networks with global peers. Their participation highlighted the Open University’s strengths and advantages in distance education, international Chinese education, and intercultural exchange. The conference not only deepened academic dialogue in global language education but also injected new momentum into collaborations between the Open University and academic communities worldwide.