The Korean National Commission for UNESCO has announced that the UNESCO International Forum on the Futures of Education, South Korea will be hosting the formum from 2 to 4 December at the Suwon Convention Center in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do. The forum will bring together international participants to discuss the creation of sustainable and inclusive education systems that can address the challenges that AI, climate change, and social inequality pose. Building on the UNESCO report Futures of Education in 2021, the event will bring together key stakeholders around opportunities for social transformation through educational innovation. Particular policy actions to focus on under this theme would relate to 'A New Social Contract for Education in the Future'.
Over 1,800 participants are expected to attend, including former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, who served as Chairperson of the UNESCO International Commission on the Futures of Education, along with ministers and senior officials from UNESCO member states, experts, and educators. They will envision the Futures of Education, and the Korean education system. All sessions will be live-streamed.
The first day, December 2, will center on the need for a new social contract for education, with discussion of global education challenges and the sharing of experiences by high-level policy makers from around the world. In a special session, the Korean Ministry of Education will showcase Korea’s policies for education transformation and the Gyeongggido Office of Education will share details of Gyeonggi-do’s blueprint for future education.
On December 3, forum participants will visit schools and educational institutions in Gyeonggi-do to explore examples of digital learning and sustainable education. Additionally, a session on 'Education Transformation as a Common Good' will explore the lifelong right to education and the public nature of education. The final day of the forum will feature discussions with young participants on the future of education and the launch of an 'Observatory for the Futures of Education'.
An official from UNESCO said, “We hope this forum will be a catalyst for establishing a cooperative framework for sharing policies and research on educational transformation. Education will play a crucial role in tackling the challenges facing modern society, including the climate crisis and social inequality”.
