UNESCO International Forum on the Futures of Education

Renewing the Social Contract for Education
Suwon, Gyeonggido, Republic of Korea, 2-4 December 2024

Our world faces complex challenges, unique opportunities, and uncertain futures. How can education rise to the challenges ahead – not only to react, but to help shape the future?

UNESCO’s International Forum on the Futures of Education 2024 provided a platform for dialogue among Member States and the global community. It enabled policymakers, researchers, teachers, youth, and civil society leaders to share innovative policies, practices, and research to transform education, aligning with the 2021 report “.”

Education systems are at a critical crossroads. The climate crisis, the acceleration of artificial intelligence, rising inequalities and divisiveness force us to rethink education’s role in shaping our shared futures. We face an existential choice between continuing an unsustainable path or radically changing course. Education is key to creating just, inclusive, and sustainable futures by redefining our relationships with each other, the planet, and technology. Yet, to do so, education itself must be transformed.

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“It is by actively engaging in the dialogue and practice to build a new social contract for education that we can renew education to make just, equitable and sustainable futures possible.”

Reimagining Our Futures Together: A new social contract for education, p. 146

Concept note & programme

Session Concept Notes

Speakers

Futures of education website

“Our hope is that the proposals contained here, and the public dialogue and collective action called for, will serve as a catalyst to shape futures for humanity and the planet that are peaceful, just, and sustainable.”

H.E. Ms Sahle-Work Zewde, Chair of the International Commission on the Futures of Education

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“The report calls for pedagogies of cooperation and solidarity. This means that we should willingly embrace the idea of diversity again together spirit. Cooperation and collaboration need to become the defining characteristics of learning communities.”

Doh-Yeon Kim, Former Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Republic of Korea, Member of International Commission

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"This new social contract is our chance to repair past injustices and transform the future…it is based on the right to quality education throughout life, embracing teaching and learning as shared societal endeavours, and therefore common goods."

Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO

Co-organizers

Our world faces complex disruptions, unique opportunities and uncertain futures. How must education rise to the challenges ahead – not only to react but to help shape the future?

UNESCO’s International Forum on the Futures of Education 2024 aimed to provide a platform through which Member States and the global community can strengthen dialogue in relation to the Futures of Education initiative. 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: “.

Education and learning systems are at a critical juncture. The climate crisis, the pervasive rise of Artificial Intelligence, growing inequality and societal divisions compel us to rethink the role of education in shaping shared futures.

We face an existential choice between continuing an unsustainable path or radically changing course. But no trend is destiny. There is an urgency to shape alternatives and reimagine possible futures. Education is crucial to this change of course. It has great potential to help shape more just, inclusive and sustainable futures by rebalancing our relationships with each other, the living planet and technology. Yet, to do so, education itself must be transformed.

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