When all member states of the United Nations embarked on a mission in 2015 to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the world was a different place. Since then, we have seen the rise of transformative technologies, escalating climate risks, a global pandemic, and seismic economic shifts. It is time we ask ourselves: Is the way we approach the goals still applicable? How do we ensure that education is resilient, inclusive, and responsive to the future?

The pace of change has further intensified with developments in artificial intelligence, which is disrupting industries, economies, and societies in ways that demand a realignment of our skills, mindset, and values. This intersection of opportunity and uncertainty has shaped the theme of the 2025 International Day of Education: “AI and Education: Preserving Agency in a World of Automation.” As we stand on the brink of harnessing technology’s transformative potential, the theme powerfully drives home the fundamental goal of education – that is, the cultivation of lifelong learners who are resilient and active participants in their own futures.

2030, the target year to achieve the SDGs, is fast approaching. What do we need to learn, unlearn, and relearn to meet the demands of our changing world?

Learn: Harnessing technology for inclusion

In a world where technological access often defines opportunity, a third of the population globally does not have access to the internet. This inequity becomes even starker as AI tools become more integrated in learning and pivotal to the future of work. Ensuring that education is inclusive and adaptable demands innovative solutions — grounded in local contexts.

Professor Mark Jordans, Marwa Zahr, and Luke Stannard of the War Child Alliance, the 2024 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureates, show how technology, when thoughtfully designed and applied, can drive change. Their 'Can’t Wait to Learn' intervention brings culturally relevant, quality education to children in conflict-affected regions. Developed in partnership with local communities, teachers, and students, the program offers interactive, self-paced learning experiences on simple, accessible devices. This contextualized use of technology bridges educational gaps while giving children agency over their own learning. In Sudan, for example, children following 'Can’t Wait to Learn' improved their reading skills almost 2.7 times more than children following the Government Alternative Learning Programme.

Unlearn: Letting go of a fixed mindset about education

Today, education too often focuses heavily on teaching to test and rigid curriculum delivery. An overemphasis on standardized teaching and learning allows little room to prepare learners for the world itself. Professor Wolfgang Lutz, 2024 Yidan Prize for Education Research Laureate, has shown that education is a key factor in human potential and well-being, and thus an important determinant of societal progress. His demographic research underscores the multiplier effect of quality education for a brighter future, offering a statistical picture of the benefits of education in areas including health, economic growth, and gender equity.

As the world changes, so must education. In the face of changing climate patterns globally, Wolfgang’s work demonstrates that education plays a crucial role in enhancing adaptive capacity to extreme weather and natural disasters. It is time for us to look at education in a new light and for education systems to adapt. This means recentring education as the key to long-term human development and replacing outdated educational practices with approaches that nurture agility, purpose, and agency.

Relearn: Finding the joy of lifelong learning

The key is to embrace education as a journey of growth and discovery. In a world where technical knowledge becomes obsolete at an ever-increasing speed, the ability to keep learning is essential.

2017 Yidan Prize laureate Professor Carol Dweck’s work on the growth mindset provides a foundation for this shift. Her research shows that learners who believe in their ability to improve are more motivated and better equipped to face challenges. The growth mindset fosters a process of lifelong learning.

2018 Yidan Prize laureate Professor Anant Agarwal’s edX platform shows how continuous learning in adulthood can be supported by technology. By offering access to modular, stackable learning online, edX empowers millions to reskill and adapt on their own terms.

The New Education Initiative founded by 2022 Yidan Prize laureate Professor Yongxin Zhu brings the lifelong learning ethos into schools and homes. By emphasizing the joy and well-being of learning, Professor Zhu and his team remind us that education is fundamentally about nurturing curiosity, purpose, and fulfillment in students, parents, and teachers.

Collaboration for a changing world

If we are to meet the demands of our evolving world, education must also transform. That requires collective action. Policymakers, educators, businesses, and civil society must together bridge gaps, scale innovative solutions, and ensure that learning remains inclusive and responsive to change.

Our world is undergoing a paradigm shift, and with that come unprecedented challenges. Education holds the key to unlocking solutions for a brighter future. To achieve this, we must learn, unlearn, and relearn — embracing education not as a destination but a lifelong journey of growth.

By Dr Charles CHEN Yidan
Founder of the Yidan Prize

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Photo credit: Ahmed Abdullatif Abbadi

This article originally appeared on Financial Times 24 January 2025. No endorsement by Financial Times is implied.