Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany participated in the first regional dialogue on the future of education and learning beyond 2030, held in Bangkok in partnership with Chulalongkorn University. The event brought together young people from across Asia and the Pacific to share their aspirations and priorities for education that meet both current and future needs .
During the dialogue, UNESCO and the Equitable Education Fund renewed their strategic partnership, aiming to expand collaboration on flexible learning pathways and dropout prevention for disadvantaged learners in Thailand and across ASEAN countries .
Participants included youth representatives from Thailand, the Philippines, India, Nepal, and Australia, along with online members of the SDG4 Youth and Student Network. Discussions addressed the impact of artificial intelligence in classrooms, the importance of wellbeing and mental health, and the need to develop future-proof skills in a rapidly changing world .
El-Enany emphasized the role of young people as co-creators of the education agenda. He highlighted the need to prepare learners for an uncertain, interconnected future shaped by challenges such as the climate crisis and artificial intelligence, stressing that education must empower them to act purposefully .
Youth advocates proposed reforms including direct involvement in curriculum design and requiring ministries to show how youth input led to change. One advocate stated that education beyond 2030 should focus less on helping youth survive crises and more on preparing society to deserve their futures .
This dialogue is part of a global process to shape a new education framework after the 2030 deadline of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, involving agencies such as UNESCAP, UNICEF, and the UN Development Coordination Office .