In his opening address to the Education Transformation Summit, UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated the importance of elevating education to the top of the global political agenda, and the need to transform education. Among the keys sought by the UN to respond to this global crisis: lifelong learning, inclusion, digital as a tool for democratization and the transformation of teaching. Solutions that the Learning Planet Institute has been experimenting with for several years in its projects.Visit Transforming Education Summit is a key initiative of Our shared agenda launched by the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, in September 2021. The Summit took place from September 16 to 19, 2022 during the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, and was convened to mobilize action, ambition, solidarity and solutions to recover from the learning losses associated with the pandemic, and sow the seeds to transform education in a rapidly changing world. As a major player in the learning society, the Learning Planet Institute was represented by François Taddei, Chief Exploration Officer, and Gaëll Mainguy, Executive Vice-President, who attended the Summit in New York last week. This event enabled them to contribute to the transformation of education, but it also reinforced the positioning of our Institute: since our creation, our projects have shown that young people, lifelong learning and collective intelligence are our most powerful assets for changing systems.
António Guterres “Education transforms lives, economies and societies. But we also know that we need to transform education“
One example of the transformation of higher education establishments is the’Institute of Défis, which we co-founded 2 years ago with Université Paris Cité, aims to transform the academic world by disseminating the methods and challenges of collective intelligence, sustainable development and inclusion, in line with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
António Guterres “Teachers are the lifeblood of education systems. We need to emphasize their role and skills. Today's teachers must be facilitators in the classroom, promoting learning rather than simply transmitting answers.“
This quote resonates with the work of the research team Professors, which supports communities of education professionals in exploring solutions to the educational challenges they face through an open, collaborative research approach.
António Guterres “It (education) must help people learn how to learn, with an emphasis on problem-solving and collaboration. It must provide the foundations for learning, from reading, writing and mathematics to scientific, digital, social and emotional skills..”
Within our academic programs - FdV license, Master AIRE and FIRE doctoral school (Université Paris Cité, PSL), as well as during the’SDG Summer University, The emphasis is on open scientific approaches, collaborative interdisciplinary projects, research and a challenge-based approach to learning. Thanks to these methods, students also develop interdisciplinary skills that enable them to adapt to a rapidly changing world.
António Guterres “It (education) must be accessible to all, from the earliest age and throughout life. It must help us learn to live and work together, to understand ourselves and our responsibilities to each other and to our planet..”
In 2020, UNESCO and the Learning Planet Institute joined forces to launch the #LearningPlanet Festival, a unique global celebration of education that welcomes passionate learners of all ages - young people, teachers, artists, activists, scientists, social entrepreneurs, policy-makers and more. Every year since then, the festival has explored the actions of local and global game-changers, new learning practices underway, digital education narratives and spaces, the influence of art and culture on learning, and how to better care for ourselves, others and our planet.
António Guterres “We must protect the right to quality education for all, especially girls. Everywhere. Schools must be open to all, without discrimination..”
Our institute welcomes diversity by celebrating the richness of our multicultural and inclusive community. Projects such as “For Girls in Science aim to encourage high-school girls to take up scientific careers by breaking down preconceived ideas about women and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
António Guterres “The digital revolution must benefit all learners. I call on countries to improve connectivity for students and educational institutions. Our own Giga initiative aims to bring all schools online.“
Digital teaching and online learning resources can help transform and democratize education. At the Learning Planet Institute, we're building a digital ecosystem that supports learners to help them assess their current skills with their peers, find mentors and co-learners, or share resources. WeLearn, our Knowledge GPS, enables learners to search, cross-reference and share crucial learning resources, as well as meet other users with similar interests, by harnessing the collaborative and artificial intelligence we have provided. From local players and innovators to universities, cities and multilateral organizations, we all have a role to play in transforming education. Learning to learn and to cooperate is a more valuable undertaking than ever, because it's the future of our democracies, our economies and science that's at stake. Thanks to its projects, the Planet Learning Institute is well on the way to tackling the global education crisis. What if we went further to create a more sustainable, inclusive, just and peaceful world for all?
