Dr. Cheng Davis, co-founder of The Forum for World Education. [Photo provided to China Daily]

PARIS -- The Forum for World Education (hereinafter referred to as "FWE") kicked off its first annual conference at OECD headquarters in Paris, France on December 3.

More than 300 global business leaders, education policymakers, and well-known scholars from more than 10 countries and regions participated in this 2-day event, and launched an ambitious and far-reaching dialogue on the future of global education.

Dr. Cheng Davis, co-founder of The Forum for World Education opened up the forum with a passionate speech paying tribute to Victor Hugo, one of the greatest French novelists.

"Victor Hugo is a true humanitarian and global citizen." Said Dr. Davis, "His philosophy, character, and posture towards outsiders is the spirit we want to carry on for today's education. Education is the only way to build world citizens like him -- and we will find the way together to achieve that and make education a priority by gathering experts such as all of you here. "

This invitation-only event brought together global leaders from all over the world, including Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands; Jack Ma, Founder of Jack Ma Foundation; Wang Guangfa, Chairman of Fazheng Group and principal of the Beijing Royal School; Dhanin Chearavanont, Senior Chairman of CP Group in Thailand; former education ministers and policymakers such as Olli-Pekka Heinonen of Finland; Hekia Parata of New Zealand; ​Maria Helena Guimarães de Castro of Brazil; and world-renowned academics such as Dr. Eric Hanushek of Stanford University; Dr. Oon Seng Tan of Singapore; Dr. Christoph Metzger of the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland; Dr. A. Lin Goodwin, the Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong; and Dr. Pam Grossman, Dean of the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania.​