International Conference on Future Education - Latin American Perspectives

Building on a break-through conference at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2013 and at a Conference at the University of Roma TRE, in Rome, Italy, in November 2017, the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) and the World University Consortium (WUC), are now joining hands with the Ministry of Education of Brazil,UNESCO and Fundação and Faculdade CESGRANRIO to conduct a “Third InternationalConference on Future Education –Latin American Perspectives” to identify practicalmeasures to meet the needs and aspirations of major stakeholders – youth, students, teachers, employers, workers, research institutions, universities, governments and civil society, in this region of the world.

Society is changing faster than ever before, generating unprecedented opportunities and challenges in its wake. Anticipating and addressing the consequences of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, environmental pressures, rising levels of youth unemployment and inequality, globalization and virtualization of business models, the explosive growth of online communications and education, the globalization of education, increasing intercultural contacts and migration will place enormous pressure on educational institutions, students, teachers and researchers.

Education is humanity’s most effective instrument for consciously steering socialevolution to maximize the benefits and minimize the disruption and trauma associated with it. There is an urgent need for expanding the reach, accessibility, affordability and quality of education at all levels. But multiplying the existing model is not sufficient. Indeed, it is likely to aggravate rather than alleviate many problems due to the time warp and gap between the education offered today and that which is so urgently needed. We not only need more education but education that is qualitatively different– a new paradigm. Updating course content is not enough. We need an education that equips youth to adapt to future innovations and challenges that cannot be fully anticipated now.