ECOSF participated in Webinar on New Normal and the Future of Education

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Ban Ki Moon Centre for Global Citizens, Austria and Yeosijae Future Consensus Institute Korea in joint collaboration organized a live webinar- “New Normal and the Future of Education” on June 18, 2020.

The webinar was chaired by the Centre’s International Advisory Committee Chairman Dr. Won-Soo Yeo-si Kim (former UN Armed Forces High Commissioner), and contributed by valued speakers including Ms. Irina Bokova the former UNESCO Director General and Professor Lee Ju-ho, KDI Graduate School of International Policy and Science (former Minister of Education, Science and Technology), Ms. Monica Fröehler the CEO of the Ban Ki-moon Global Citizens Centre attended the webinar and shared in-depth opinions about the future of education in a new phase with COVID-19. On behalf of ECOSF, President Prof. Dr. Manzoor Hussain Soomro along with his team participated in the webinar and interacted with speakers during the Q&A session.

The panel emphasized that international cooperation is important to turn the current crisis into an opportunity, highlighting that the COVID-19 situation can be used to solve the problems of the existing education as well as the digital divide.

Madam Irina Bokova, former UNESCO Director-General stressed that education is essential for the transition to the new normal era. Education should be a political agenda for rapid response to the pandemic. Madam Bokova further said that kids out of school due to COVID-19 especially the girls, may never get back to school. She emphasized that if the future of education has to be digital, then we all need to come together to tackle the problem of digital divide.

Prof. Lee Joo-ho, former Minister of Education, Science and Technology of Republic of Korea said that we must play a leading role in the international community with new learning models such as digital learning with High-Touch and High-Tech approach. The COVID-19 experience should serve as a springboard for blended learning. He called upon authorities to upgrade the education to high tech & high touch from low tech & low touch. He said Korean education approach could be the model for other countries.

Ms. Monica Fröehler, CEO Ban Ki-moon Global Citizens Centre said that global citizen education is more important than ever. She stressed over to promote the model of Global Citizenship Education even more in tackling the crisis, where education can play a key role in developing resilience, adaptation, substitution & flexibility in communities.

The webinar recording can be accessed at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHJZi6S_KFg&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR1y56FDsKjMEsuYcQ7_pmWuY3ILy1M5S3MZzr4s4yXLZfAzrqxB_Lwe6FI