Education experts and policy makers from eight Baltic Sea Region countries gathered in Riga for the international conference “FuturEd: Shaping the future of education”. During the two-day conference participants shared experiences and ideas on how to modernise and develop education, emphasising the importance of cooperation and the introduction of new solutions to overcome global challenges.
“Many thanks to the education professionals and decision makers from Riga and other countries for their participation in the Baltic Sea Region education conference “FuturEd: Shaping the future of education”, held in Riga. This event not only reaffirmed the importance of education in tackling global challenges, but also provided an opportunity for exchange and innovation with colleagues representing almost ten different countries. Through discussions, workshops and exploring solutions for the future of education, we gained new ideas and inspiration to work together towards a sustainable education system. I was delighted to hear from my foreign colleagues that we can be proud of our educational achievements in Riga that are useful to them in their own countries. The future of education lies in changing the perception of society, in realising that education is a value in itself,” says Laima Geikina, Chair of the Education, Culture and Sports Committee of Riga City Council.
The Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC) Learning Cities Commission in cooperation with Riga City Council organised an international education conference “FuturEd: Shaping the future of education” and a visit to educational institutions with more than 100 participants.
“Last year, such conference was held in Turku, gathering together around 80 participants. This time, the number of registered participants was 115, which really shows that there is a real demand for this kind of event where experts and policy makers can share their thoughts, ideas, and best practices,” says Matti Mäkelä, Chair of the UBC Learning Cities Commission.
Ilona Doniņa, Head of International and Investment Projects Division of the Education, Culture and Sports Committee of Riga City Council and Deputy Chair of the UBC Learning Cities Commission, emphasised: “The conference was a great success not only in terms of the number of participants, but also in terms of the diversity and depth of the expert panel discussions. It was a great pleasure and honour to host participants from eight countries in Riga, providing a welcoming atmosphere for all visitors. We are looking forward to strengthening cooperation in the field of education and expanding the network in the cities of the Baltic Sea Region.”
In the morning session “Education Is The Future”, policy makers and experts highlighted the crucial role of education in addressing global challenges, while in the afternoon session “Future of Education”, education practitioners discussed tools and solutions for the future. The variety of workshops, covering such topics as school visits, educational technology, artificial intelligence, STEAM, student support, and promotion of the teaching profession, allowed participants to gain insights from different perspectives and provided inspiration.
The study visits on the second day of the event gave participants the opportunity to get a first-hand experience of the education system in Latvia at different stages, i.e. from pre-school to vocational education.
Information was prepared by: Sindija Grāvere, Project Coordinator at External Communication Division of Riga City Council Communication Department, e-mail: sindija.gravere@riga.lv.
