UNESCO Headquarters in Paris hosted the Digital Learning Week 2025 (DLW) from 2 to 5 September 2025, under the theme «AI and the Future of Education: Disruptions, Dilemmas, and Directions».
The growing integration of AI in education offers transformative opportunities but also poses significant challenges. It reshapes pedagogies, curricula, and governance while raising questions about equity, ethics, and human agency. Debates about AI’s potential range from overly optimistic to cautiously critical perspectives. Education systems must address dilemmas related to digital surveillance, systemic biases, and accountability erosion to chart a positive path forward.
UNESCO IITE played a prominent role in this significant event. Professor Asha Singh Kanwar, Chair of the UNESCO IITE Governing Board and a globally recognized leader in open and distance education, made substantial contributions to the proceedings. She participated in four sessions of the Digital Learning Week (DLW) as both a panelist of several sessions and moderator of the UNESCO Fireside Chat during the plenary session. At the Opening Reception, she emphasized the importance of UNESCO’s role in shaping the future of education, quoting India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who once said that UNESCO is the conscience of humanity. Professor Asha Singh Kanwar underscored that the key challenge is not merely adopting AI, but ensuring that students, teachers, and communities drive its use.
Ms. Natalia Amelina, Senior National Project Officer and Chief of Teacher Professional Development at UNESCO IITE also contributed to the event’s success. She participated in two sessions during the week both as a panelist during “Bridging Learnings to Earnings using AI, Blockchain and Web3” session organized by NetDragon, and as facilitator of the Coding and Literacy session with CODEMAO, which focused on fostering dialogue, sharing innovative practices, and uniting stakeholders to support young people’s role in digital education transformation through global collaboration.
Digital Learning Week 2025, organized by UNESCO, emerged as a transformative global platform that united international experts to reimagine education in the age of artificial intelligence. It focused on charting pathways for equitable, ethical and human-driven AI integration in education to ensure that technology serves as a force for inclusive progress.
Discover the latest insights and developments from Digital Learning Week 2025 by visiting the official website: https://www.unesco.org/en/weeks/digital-learning