European Schoolnet took part in the Bett Global Ministerial Symposium 2026 as one of five strategic partners, alongside UNESCO, OECD, UNICEF and the UK Department for Education.

The symposium was conceived as a dedicated space for senior education leaders to engage in structured reflection and joint problem-solving at a time when education systems face rapid technological and societal changes.

Held on 20 January 2026 at the Royal Lancaster London, the inaugural symposium gathered more than 300 high-level representatives from 54 countries, including 44 ministers and undersecretaries for education and higher education. With over half the participants coming from Europe, the event highlighted the strong involvement of European governments in global discussions on digital transformation, skills and equity in education.

Under the theme "From ‘what if' to ‘why not'", the symposium aimed to move beyond exploratory debate and towards practical pathways for reform across schools, higher and further education.

A core feature of the programme was the Challenge Roundtables, designed to connect international perspectives with concrete examples from policy and practice. European Schoolnet facilitated one of these sessions, leading the roundtable on AI Literacy and Workforce Competency. The discussion focused on how education systems can prepare learners for emerging labour market demands while ensuring that schools introduce artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching and learning in ways that support pedagogical quality and social inclusion. This exchange brought together policymakers, researchers, and industry representatives to consider how AI literacy can be embedded in curricula and teacher development.

The symposium also featured ministerial panels and keynote contributions from global leaders in education and technology, addressing what meaningful digital transformation entails in terms of leadership, policy alignment and long-term vision.

During the gala dinner, European Schoolnet Executive Director Marc Durando reflected on the conditions needed for Europe's digital transformation of education to succeed. He stressed the role of cooperation across different domains, from pedagogy and infrastructure to data, culture and policy, and noted that digital initiatives often remain fragmented or overly focused on tools rather than learning processes. Emphasising the importance of policy alignment, he stated:

"We need synergies — real, operational synergies — between European and international initiatives with national education policies; what we must strive for is building coherence, trust, and collective intelligence across all education systems."

His intervention echoed the symposium's broader ambition to move from isolated initiatives towards more connected and sustainable approaches.

Events such as the Bett Ministerial Symposium illustrate the growing recognition that education challenges cannot be addressed in isolation. Issues such as AI in education, digital skills and system-wide reform require coordinated responses that bridge policy, research and classroom practice. By creating a safe, reflective forum for senior leaders, the symposium made room for long-term priorities to be discussed, and for shared challenges to be reframed as opportunities for joint action.

The conversations continued in the following days at Bett UK 2026, reinforcing the link between strategic dialogue and wider professional exchange. In this context, European Schoolnet's participation reflected an ongoing engagement with international partners to support learning systems that are inclusive, future-ready and grounded in collaboration. The symposium marked a step towards translating global insights into national and regional approaches that respond to both technological change and educational values.