The 7th Creativity in Education Summit 2025 was jointly organised by UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education, the Global Institute of Creative Thinking (GIoCT) and the OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (OECD CERI) on September 17-18, 2025, at UNESCO HQs in Paris. The Summit served a unique platform convening policy makers, educators, AI and technology experts and international organisations to exchange ideas, showcase the best global practices, and promote collaborative solutions, as well as giving the opportunity to examine how assessment practices can nurture creative thinking and strengthen teaching and learning.
This year’s theme “Aligning Assessment to Foster Creative Thinking and Improve Teaching and Learning” emphasized the common need to ensure alignment of assessment practices with pedagogical approaches that value creativity as a core educational outcome. More than 200 participants from 55 countries and regions and six continents including representatives from UNESCO and OECD Member States, the Ministries of Education, universities, schools, academia, international organizations, NGOs, and private companies gathered to exchange innovative practices and tools, share the strategies for resource integration, foster collaboration and networking, and discuss the assessment and evaluation frameworks.
The Summit opening ceremony featured welcoming statements delivered by Ms. Frankie Lowe, Founder and CEO of GIoCT (UK), Mr. Zhan Tao, Director of UNESCO IITE, and Ms. Lucia Dellagnelo, Deputy Director, Directorate for Education and Skills, OECD. The opening ceremony was moderated by Ms. Asha Singh Kanwar, Chair of the UNESCO IITE Governing Board.
During the High-Level Forum, Mr. Ali Haidar Ahmed, the Minister of Education of Maldives, Mr. Uhilamoelangi Fasi, the Minister for Education and Training of Kingdom of Tonga, Ms. Cecilia Barbieri, Chief of UNESCO Section of Global Citizenship and Peace Education, Mr. Ricaud Auckbur, the Secretary-General of Mauritius National Commission for UNESCO and UNESCO IITE Governing Board Member, H.E. Mr. Mohammad Oemar, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Indonesia to UNESCO, and Mohamed Jemni, Director of ICT Department at ALECSO and Vice Chair of the UNESCO IITE Governing Board presented their views on developing creative education and on supporting the teaching profession to rethink the assessment of skills of students.
Mr. Stéphan Vincent-Lancrin, Deputy Head OECD CERI, presented a keynote speech on fostering and assessing creativity across educational systems. Mr. Andreas Schleicher, Director of OECD CERI, highlighted a shift from traditional PISA-style assessment towards a broader approach that recognizes the importance of creative skills for future societies. The changing landscape of measuring potential and performance in creativity was analyzed by Mr. Mark A. Runco, Director of GIoCT, in his keynote speech.
UNESCO IITE team and members of the UNESCO IITE Governing Board took an active part in the Summit as speakers and moderators. Mr. Didier Jourdan, the Head of the UNESCO Chair on Global Health and Education and the UNESCO IITE Governing Board member, delivered a keynote on rethinking assessment for equity in the AI era focusing on creativity, global citizenship and health for all. Another UNESCO IITE Governing Board member, Professor Maria Cecilia Calani Baranauskas from the University of Campinas (Brazil) made a presentation on the practical view and innovative technologies as part of creative education in Brazil. A keynote speech on creativity in promoting inclusive education was made by Ms. Tone Mork, Chair of the Commission on Education and Rehabilitation International and UNESCO IITE Governing Board Member.
The Summit agenda included 23 sessions featuring keynotes, ministerial roundtables, interactive workshops, and case studies with over 50 experts sharing their insights. Parallel sessions and workshops provided the opportunity to explore how digital tools, artificial intelligence, and inclusive methodologies can help build more adaptive, integrative and meaningful models of practice. The official launch of the Creativity in Education Summit Network (CES Network) and the Creativity in Schools Award Ceremony recognising outstanding contributions to creative education were held during the Summit as well.
