On 2–4 December 2024, the UNESCO International Forum on the Futures of Education was held in Suwon, the Republic of Korea on the theme "Renewing the Social Contract for Education". The forum shared research, policies and practices aimed at transforming education for more just and sustainable futures for all. UNU-IAS experts contributed as panelists in sessions on education, technology and sustainability.
Jonghwi Park (Academic Programme Officer) discussed the importance of identifying educational challenges prior to technological integration, highlighting UNU's innovative use of AI-generated data to project climate change displacement, supporting ministries of education in planning climate-resilient systems.
Addressing curriculum development, Nafissa Insebayeva (Consultant) emphasized that integrating climate justice and post-carbon economies in the same learning modules is key to designing equitable solutions that are environmentally sustainable and economically viable. She showcased a UNU-IAS training programme that integrates climate justice and post-carbon solutions to help Member States assess the social impacts of their policies and design more community-centred outcomes.
Jerome Silla (Research Associate) stressed the need for strategic adoption of technology for sustainability. He introduced the Futures of Higher Education and AI Action Group co-chaired by UNU, which aims to inform policy and practice while promoting responsible AI integration in higher education systems.
The forum was jointly organized by UNESCO, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea, Gyeonggi Office of Education, and the Korean National Commission for UNESCO.
