Future of Education: What will world-class education look like in 5 years?

On Saturday June 3 renowned educational leaders gathered together to address this important question at the inaugural Future of Education Forum held on the Dulwich Pudong campus.

Over the course of the afternoon, Forum attendees enjoyed thought-provoking keynote speeches from prominent educators, followed by hands-on Parent Academy workshops from Dulwich Pudong teachers. The afternoon concluded with a cross-disciplinary panel discussion on the skills and capabilities today's graduates really need to thrive in tomorrow's world of work.

Tremendous opportunities ahead

Keynote 1: "The case for change: Future-proofing education"

Mr. Garry Russell

Head of College at Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong

"Education has always changed with the times," shared Mr. Russell in his talk. "There are tremendous opportunities ahead and the best schools will take full advantage of them, regardless of whether they are new technology or advances in neuroscience."

"Where to Now for Education in the Era of Artificial Intelligence?"

Wan Wei

Principal at Shanghai Pinghe School

Wan Wei believes that educators must have a comprehensive understanding of the trends and opportunities in the age of artificial intelligence for future education. In his talk he emphasizes that in the future, humans need to leverage the advantages of the "right brain" and avoid falling into the misconceptions of traditional education. Additionally, Principal Wan Wei proposed the "nine ingredients" of future education and shared the fruitful teaching practices and achievements of Pinghe School with the attendees.

"The Core of Future Education: Technology and Innovation.”

Professor Jin Zhifeng, Vice President of China Education Policy Research Institute and Professor of Beijing Normal University

In his talk, Professor Jin took the latest statements on education, technology, and human resources from the 20th National Congress as a starting point to provide an in-depth interpretation of China's focal points and strategic directions in education. He emphasized that nurturing talents in technological innovation will play a crucial role in future education strategies.

During the presentation, Professor Jin also shared the vision of education in the 4.0 era and provided an analysis of the unique advantages presented by international education in the process of educational transformation in the future.

Parent Academy Deep dive

Forum attendees also participated in themed workshops where they received expert guidance in wellbeing, family education and supporting their children's academic success. As with all our Worldwise Parent Academy events, these workshops were personalised and hands-on.

Let's Get Real: the current state of university applications at highly selective universities

Rorie Macdonald

University and Careers Counselor at Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong

Emotion Coaching: Walking through big feelings with your kids together

Chen Jing

Counselor at Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong

Social Media and the Teenage Brain: What's really happening here?

Jordi Blanco

Counselor at Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong

The Anxious Family: Simple strategies for making anxiety work for your family, not against it

Counselor at the Community Centre Shanghai

The Science of Learning: Understanding how to support your child in their learning journey

Rachael Thornton

Head of Psychology and Head of Year 13 at Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong

Anna Townend

Director of Teaching and Learning (Senior School) at Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong

Dulwich Pudong's Worldwise Parent Academy is a pillar of the home-school partnership and a key way in which we extend learning to our parents and make them partners in their child's educational journey.

Essential Skills for the 21st Century

The Forum concluded with a unique panel discussion on Education for the 21st century: how to empower the next generation with the skills and mindset to make a difference in the world?

The panel brought together different perspectives from international and bilingual educators, Dulwich alumni and an executive at a Fortune 500 company.

Meet the Panelists:

Each panelist shared their professional journey and reflected on the realities of the path ahead. Some common themes emerged about the types of skills which will be essential in differentiating employees in the future:

• Technological literacy
• Communication
• Decision-making
• Collaboration
• Self-reflectio

Building Bridges to the World

Since our founding in 2003, Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong's motto has been "Building Bridges to the World." We were thrilled to be able to do that in the Forum by inviting renonwed educators representing international education, bilingual international education and university education. We do this because we believe that diversity is a strength, and that the best education draws upon the strengths of many academic traditions.

We look forward to next year's Forum which will be held in April 2024!