From 2 to 4 December 2024, Vidzeme UAS development vice-rector Iveta Putniņa attended the UNESCO International Forum in the Republic of Korea. The event, which focused on the different possible futures of education, posed questions such as whether education can cope with the fast changes in the technologies. It also examined major reforms Korea had announced aiming to personalize education. For the E³UDRES² alliance, the visit inspired to view the story of European University Alliances and E³UDRES² from a global perspective, stressing the importance of showing an unique added value.
“The UNESCO report is the most comprehensive work in recent times on the long-term vision and principles of education, why and what needs to be revised in education to address current global problems,” stated Iveta Putniņa in the light of attending the UNESCO International Forum. The main challenges mentioned in the UNESCO report are the climate crisis, the rapid development of artificial intelligence and the growing inequality and polarization of society. Putniņa also mentioned that the International Forum was one of the events bringing people together to find answers to foundational questions, so that education itself can transform and help solve complex global problems.
Trends on Current Core Top Skills
During autumn 2024, the E³UDRES² team working on "Future University" topics also discussed trends on future jobs. The E³UDRES² Future University Think Tank reviewed current trends and summarized key take aways, outlining the opportunities for E³UDRES².
“During the UNESCO International Forum, experts showed that, according to the Future of Jobs Report 2023 (by the World Economic Forum), the majority of important skills are linked to cognitive and self-efficacy skills, as well working with others. We can also describe them as skills which AI is missing. Therefore the guiding question for the upcoming period would be how to develop skill which AI is missing and how the assessment models in education should be changed in order to assess the future skills,” said Putniņa.
UNESCO’s first International Forum on the Futures of Education aimed to provide a platform through which member states and the global community can strengthen dialogue in relation to the futures of education. It provided an opportunity for policy-makers and other education specialists to exchange and share contextualized experiences in innovative policy, practice and research to transform education in line with the recommendations of the report of the 2021 International Commission on the Futures of Education: “Reimagining Our Futures Together: A new social contract for education”. For E³UDRES², it brought many new connections, viewpoints and food for thought on future initiatives.
Links
➝ Vidzeme UAS
