On March 22, CLASS CIRCLE 2025 was held at the Chinese Embassy in the United States. Over 150 Chinese language teachers, education administrators and experts from more than 20 U.S. states attended the event. Themed as “Embracing AI: Charting New Paths and Overcoming Barriers”, the conference was hosted by the Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools (CLASS).

Minister Jing Quan met with Jessica Haxhi, Supervisor of World Languages for New Haven Public Schools in Connecticut, Jianhua Bai, Professor of Chinese at Kenyon College, and key members of the CLASS board of directors.

Minister Counsellor for Education Affairs Shen Xuesong addressed the opening ceremony. She expressed the hope that Chinese language educators across the U.S. will continue to promote mutual learning among civilizations, pioneer in innovation, advance China-U.S. relations, and embrace AI technologies to empower Chinese language education in fulfilling its new mission. Dr. Larrence Paska, Executive Director of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), sent a congratulatory message via video. Jessica Haxhi delivered a keynote speech, focusing on foreign language teaching trends in the AI era, as well as the current state and future of Chinese language education. Nicole Naditz, Program Specialist in World Languages for San Juan Unified School District, introduced generative AI tools and their applications for world language teachers.

In the following panel discussions and thematic sessions, participants engaged in in-depth dialogue on topics including the role of AI tools in language curricula. They shared their practices and studies while exploring innovative approaches to advance Chinese language education in the U.S.