Highlights from the 2023 EPALE Community Conference
The EPALE 2023 Community Conference, which took place from 10 to 12 October, celebrated the ongoing change, growth and evolution behind adult learning and skills acquisition.
Under the evocative title Bloom! Skills for the future, the Conference showcased the transformative power of learning, in the context of the ongoing European Year of Skills.
In the video above and in the following paragraphs, we have collected some highlights, among the many inspiring reflections that emerged in the keynote speeches, panels and workshops that took place over the three days.
The first day of the Conference kick-started with a rich keynote speech by Clare Stark, who reminded us that “there is no question about the importance of Artificial intelligence and the emerging technologies in our lives. But we have also seen some issues that have come to light, particularly in terms of data, that can lead to bias and discrimination".
But, since this technology is not going away, we need to interrogate it and make sure it is used in an ethical way. And to do that, educators need to be part of this process.
As also mentioned by Ann Branch, during the following panel, “The change is incredibly fast. But our response also needs to be fast. This is a challenge".
The second day of the conference focused on actively engaging citizens in society, by equipping them with the necessary skills to be protagonists of social life. Education opens the world, provides us with a sense of orientation, and reminds us that we are subjects of our own lives, as reminded by our keynote speaker Gert Biesta. In his own words: “The purpose of education is to equip and encourage people for their free life."
In the next European elections, 400 million people are called to vote, and 8 in 10 Europeans are concerned about disinformation on democracy. Since we are social and emotional creatures too, and not only rational, disinformation and populism are built to trigger our emotions. So, we need to stay informed and use critical thinking to stay mindful, as it emerged during the panel on Elections in the digital era.
And finally, in a world of work marked by overlapping crises, the very concept of growth is challenged and needs to incorporate an inclusive perspective, fostered by social dialogue and cross-sectorial cooperation, as Bolormaa Tumurchudur-Klok reminded in her speech.
The final day of the Conference focused on not leaving anyone behind and the role of capacity building through skills development and inclusive learning opportunities. In fact, “Education is the path to freedom. With education, you can transcend many barriers. With education, you get the power to choose", observed Grethe Haugøy in the final EPALE Talk.
Education and skills can make anyone flourish, their possibilities open up and bloom, because “skills define who we are. Who we want to be. And what we want to do”, as was remarked by Manuela Geleng in her opening speech.
Did you miss the live Conference events?
Don't worry! Here are the recordings of the three plenary sessions:
Athugasemdir
Bardzo ciekawe podsumowanie…
Bardzo ciekawe podsumowanie bardzo wartościowej konferencji. Pojawiło się wiele ważnych wątków. Frekwencja w tegorocznych wyborach dała mi potężny zastrzyk energii w moich działaniach edukacji obywatelskiej. Kropla drąży skałę. Uważam także, że w kontekście wzrostu powinniśmy skupić się także na inkluzji. Akceptacji tego jacy jesteśmy i że razem możemy żyć w zmieniającym się świecie. Ciesze się, że w społeczności EPALE są osoby, które dzielą się swoim doświadczeniem, a robią to z zakątków całej Europy, co daje duży zasób wartościowej wiedzy i doświadczeń. Ta konferencja to pokazuje.
Oczywiście, możemy się…
Oczywiście, możemy się zastanawiać, czym jest populizm i na ile polityka powinna wkraczać do edukacji. Niemniej, ważne jest przekraczanie osobistych barier właśnie dzięki edukacji, przede wszystkim tej przez całe życie. Powinniśmy z niej korzystać, by łączyć, a nie dzielić. W każdym sensie.