ENSURING every child has access to quality childcare, proper healthcare and supportive learning environments was a key focus at an international child development forum held in Shanghai, China.
The 2026 Soong Ching Ling International Forum on Children’s Development brought together international experts and academics to discuss ways to improve children’s well-being, strengthen early childhood education and support healthy development in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).
Among the invited experts at the forum were MCA national policy and livelihood issues research committee chairman and Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) Assoc Prof Datuk Dr Monna Ong Siew Siew, Canada-China Comparative Education and Cultural Society president and University of British Columbia educational researcher Jennifer Jing Zhao, and Soong Ching Ling Kindergarten principal and Shanghai Soong Ching Ling Early Childhood Research Centre chairperson Zhu Sujing.
Ong participated in the roundtable discussion “Building the Future Together: From Access to Quality – Global Challenges and Kindergarten Practices”.
She joined representatives from various countries to discuss improving access to affordable childcare, encouraging innovation in early childhood education and strengthening cooperation between families and communities.
The discussions also explored how AI could create opportunities to improve the fairness and inclusiveness of early childhood care services.
Among the topics featured at the forum were family care for children aged up to three years old in the age of AI, early childhood teachers’ professional development, inclusive childcare systems and children’s social and emotional development.
Experts also discussed the importance of physical activity during early childhood and its role in children’s overall development.
The forum examined how countries could move beyond ensuring that children have access to care, towards providing quality early childhood education and support.
A separate session was held where local and international experts discussed five areas: high-quality curriculum development and teacher training, family education and home-school cooperation, healthcare and nutrition, psychological development and brain science, and international research and practices in childcare curricula.
The discussions highlighted the importance of cooperation between educators, families, communities and healthcare professionals in supporting children’s development from an early age.
Ong provided a Malaysian perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing early childhood education as countries seek to make childcare services more accessible, inclusive and responsive to changing family needs.
The forum served as a platform for cross-border and inter- disciplinary exchanges, bringing together research findings and practical experiences in early childhood education and child development.
Participants expressed hope that continued international cooperation would help create a more equitable, inclusive and child-friendly environment, giving every child a healthier and happier start in life.
