EDUCATION

EDUCATION

Introduction to the programme

Advances in technology, notably the rapid spread of digitalisation and AI, are transforming the economy and society. The use of digital tools is now a requirement for employment in virtually every sector of the economy, while discerning between true and fake news is a matter of survival in the social media world. Coupled with a rapidly changing natural environment, through the impact of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, these transformations demand an urgent adjustment to the core systems of human preparedness, i.e. the world’s education systems. Young people and continuous learners must be given the means to adapt, secure their lives and livelihoods, and thrive, taking the future into their own hands, in the brave new digital world that is now upon us.

The Digital with Purpose (DWP) Global Summit is a flagship event that brings together public and private sector decision-makers, entrepreneurs and innovators, as well as digital technology users and beneficiaries from around the world. It is convened by GeSI, the sustainability organization of the ICT private sector. The aim is to accelerate the uptake and use of digital innovations, particularly those developed by the private sector, that benefit society and help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Central to these goals is SDG4 – “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” – that serves as the basis and catalyst for the achievement of all the rest.

That is why this year’s DWP Global Summit 2024 will again have a strong focus on education through its Education Track. Representatives of the private sector and all relevant stakeholders – governments and international organisations, teachers, students, technology developers, educational entrepreneurs, employers – will come together for a series of plenary discussions, roundtables and workshops on a range of education related topics. Realizing that there are shortcomings and potential traps that humanity has to be aware of and avoid if it is to make best use of digitalisation, and with AI fast emerging as the pinnacle of the digital toolbox, this year’s Summit as a whole will pay spec

The Education Track will build on the Education Manifesto that emerged from the 2023 DWP Global Summit in Portugal and carry it forward through an action-oriented agenda. It is expected to result in ambitious and verifiable commitments by all involved, including the private sector partners, to transform our education systems and spread the benefits of education wider than ever, through the deliberate and responsible use of digital tools, those that exist and more that are coming. Deliberations and commitments undertaken at the DWP Global Summit 2024 will form the basis of the discussions at the DWP Global Summit 2025, contributing to the DWP Movement.

What sets the DWP Education Track apart from all other gatherings dealing with needed changes in education systems is its focus on digital, software and hardware, and how the private sector that develops these tools can be part of a race to the top, within a conducive framework provided by the public sector and civil society. Together in a race to the top towards a more sustainable, resilient and equitable world, where it is good for all to live and work.