To echo the Belt & Road initiative and in response to the release of Education Initiative to Promote the B&R Joint Construction, CNAES held the first Belt & Road Education Dialogue in 2017, aiming to promote policy exchanges and educational cooperation among B&R countries. Proposal of establishing a B&R Education Research Network were raised on this event, and received wide supports from international experts and scholars. To date, 44 countries have joined this network.

GDEI is a comprehensive index developed by CNAES, based on evidence-based evaluation paradigms, to assess the overall development level of digital education in various countries. By conducting a thorough and systematic collection and analysis of various online data from international organizations and 206 countries and regions, 62 leading countries with relatively complete data and better digital education were selected, establishing a global digital education development evidence base.

The 11th BRICS Ministerial Meeting on Education focused on educational cooperation to foster global knowledge. It highlighted education's role in strengthening connections, promoting collaboration, and ensuring equitable, inclusive and lifelong learning for sustainable development. Key initiatives included the BRICS Network University, mutual recognition of qualifications, university evaluation system, digital education, support talented youth, environmental literacy, humanities and TVET.

"Global Innovative Trends in Basic Education" is a research project initiated by CNAES. After a wide range of consultation locally and globally, 8 innovative trends in basic education were highlighted. By carrying out this project, the research team endeavors to provide theoretical foundations and strategic guidance to improve global education quality, narrow the gaps, address diversity challenges, and promote the sustainable development of humanity.

This project aims to promote international collaboration and build a consensus on the innovative development of global vocational education. It represents China’s first forward-looking, systematic empirical research on international innovation trends in vocational education. Relevant themes on the reform and development of vocational education from international academic journals, conferences, and organizations are reviewed carefully. Innovative VET models of representative countries are examined as well.

The "School +" innovation research project focuses on innovation in classroom teaching reform initiated by OECD. The project aims to collect global innovation cases and conducts evidence-based research to form replicable and promotable experiences. CNAES as the leading Chinese institution, has established an expert team to organize schools to form a scientific research community to deeply explore the theory and practice in China's basic education in the new era.