Education Division in the UK Attends 2024 Education World Forum
The 2024 Education World Forum (EWF), an annual opportunity for education ministers from countries around the world to meet and discuss global education developments, was held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London, from May 19 to 22. This year's forum attracted more than 1,220 people, including 146 ministers. Among the distinguished guests were government officials, UNESCO and NGO delegates, education providers, and representatives of UK supporting agencies such as the Department for Education, the Department for Business & Trade, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and the British Council. Andy Cheu-An Bi, Director of the Education Division at the Taipei Representative Office in the United Kingdom, attended the Forum on behalf of Taiwan’s Minister of Education to help foster Taiwan-UK education relations and Taiwan’s role in global education.
Technological advancements such as AI and serious issues such as climate change and the need for sustainability present new challenges that require education to re-evaluate its priorities and effectively address them. The themes of this year's Education World Forum were: encouraging AI understanding, building human relationships and resilience, and accelerating climate action. It also focused on policy development for and the implementation of last year’s theme, which was ‘stronger, bolder, better’ education?
More than 80 speakers gave keynote speeches or took part in thought-provoking panel discussions, including the Rt Hon Gillian Keegan, Secretary of State for Education, and Professor Sir Steve Smith, the International Education Champion of the UK Government, who interacted with the Education Division when he was serving as vice-chancellor of the University of Exeter.
During the conference and following welcome reception, Director Bi and Sir Steve discussed the progress made in education cooperation between Taiwan and the UK, particularly in enhancing student mobility. Advancements and successful collaborations over the past year, include the provision of additional funding for British students traveling to Taiwan through the Department for Education-funded Turing Scheme. Director Bi also held discussions with Department for Education officials, reaffirming Taiwan’s commitment to furthering its education-related cooperation with the UK and increasing opportunities for international exchanges.
