Experts from UNESCO, UNICEF EAPRO, and UNESCO UIL emphasized the importance of multiple pathways to education and training. They advocated for the development of transferable skills among learners and stressed the importance of accessible education and inclusive practices.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has held an online forum to address education challenges in the era of digitalization and COVID-19 recovery. Themed “Inclusive ASEAN 2050: Building Equitable Societies and Learning Cities”, it featured panel discussions by UNESCO experts on educational transformation in Southeast Asia on May 24-26.
During the forum, officials, development partners, and education experts discussed the critical need to build digital skills and promote lifelong learning to advance inclusive and equitable societies. Multilateral organizations also participated, providing their perspectives on how this could be achieved.
The forum took inspiration from UNESCO’s 2021 publication, “Reimagining our Futures Together: a new social contract for education.” This publication served as a guide to look toward 2050 and design a new social contract for education that seeks to strengthen relationships between humans, nature, and technology.
Experts from UNESCO, UNICEF EAPRO, and UNESCO UIL emphasized the importance of multiple pathways to education and training. They advocated for the development of transferable skills among learners and stressed the importance of accessible education and inclusive practices that foster success in different times, contexts, and through different providers.
Sobhi Tawil, the director of the Future of Learning and Innovations team at UNESCO, underscored the necessity of giving learners access to pertinent knowledge and abilities to thrive in a rapidly changing world. He expressed the value of lifelong learning and the need for innovative and transformative approaches to education.
The Philippine National Youth Commission, SEAMEO VOCTECH, and UNESCO Youth Representative called for a comprehensive review of technical and vocational education and training curricula to boost youth employability. They advocated for flexible approaches and inter-agency cooperation to support student and labor mobility in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the advent of new technologies.
Carlos Vargas, head of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 Secretariat, presented a keynote address focused on the role of teachers in transforming education. He stressed the need to provide teachers with support, autonomy, and trust to realize their full potential as agents of change and contributors to policy development.
During a UN summit in September 2022, Secretary General Antonio Guterres identified investing in education as a crucial issue for transforming the future of education.
Experts from Singapore, the Philippines, and Ireland discussed how automation will shape the future of work and how to identify groups that may be affected by it. They highlighted the EU- ASEAN SHARE program as a valuable initiative for strengthening regional cooperation in higher education and equipping students with digital knowledge and skills.
The forum is part of the ASCC Research and Development Program, which is funded by the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Cooperation Fund.
Recently, at the 2023 G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, UNESCO called for increased regulation of Artificial Intelligence due to its potential unintended consequences.
