Future of Education in a New Digital Era, Sibiu, 15-16 September 2017

As Romania is approaching the beginning of the new School Year is important to address the growing challenges faced by our current and future generations – Education being a key concern for all of us!
Join us for a visionary debate about Future of Education in a new Digital Era – together with national and international experts we will look for answers at some of the most pressing questions of our modern society!

    • Keep in mind that today:

    • 65% of children entering primary school today (worldwide) will ultimately end up
    • working in completely new job types that don’t yet exist
    • 78% of Romanian children (7-18 years old) use internet daily, while 90% of them use at least a social network
    • 50% of the EU population lacks basic digital skills (with just 28% Romanians have basic digital skills!)
  • by 2020 EU is expected to have a shortage of 800.000 ICT specialists
    aprox. 20% of young people (15-24 years old) are not employment, education or training – NEET (Romania ranks 4th in the EU with the highest percentage of young people in these situations)

With a fourth Industrial Revolution (World Economic Forum) already present in our societies, major changes are expected to influence our social and economic development – from the type of skills we will need to the types of jobs we will have access to. Without early interventions in our educational approach and public policies, the current and future generations will be even more affected by a growing digital divide.

Future of Education in a new Digital Era” is organised with the support of the Embassy of Finland in Romania. In a World struggling to find the right solutions, Finland is a champion in both fields, ranking 1st in the global education systems and being one of the most digital countries worldwide – ranking 2nd in the EU Digital Economy and Society Index 2017, with a particular strength in digital skills where it is ahead of all other Member States with some distance.

Join the event at: https://goo.gl/WMHmPj


The event is part of the campaign “Driving the Digital rEvolution” – the Romanian campaign aiming to identify and promote the opportunities of the digital sector, with a particular focus on Romania’s 2019 Presidency of the Council of the European Union!

The campaign will take place during the next 2 years, bridging the national, European and global debate by bringing in the forefront some of the most pressing questions in our minds: what is the Digital Future holding for us and how can we ensure human centered solutions in the era of fast paced society.

While many topics have to be addressed during the EU Presidencies, the Digital dimension is a cross-sectoral priority that has an impact on all policies. More specifically for the national context, is the one in which Romania holds some of the most important achievements and opportunities, and for which has earned the reputation of Europe’s future Silicon Valley.

    In this context, our initiative is based on a multi-stakeholder approach – bringing togetehr various actors that co-design:

  • public policies necessary for the fourth industrial revolution
  • practical solutions where the new technologies contribute to a better future for our society.
  • Arguments for Driving the Digital rEvolution from a Romanian perspective – Romania ranks 28th in the Digital Economy and Society Index 2017 (EU), but this position is in contrast with leadership positions in other related fields, since Romania also ranks:

  • 2nd in the EU and 7th world wide in terms of high-speed Internet and broadband connections
  • 2nd in the EU in terms of women working in ICT and 4th in terms of female ICT students.
  • top 10 countries on a global level, in terms of certified IT specialists

The contrasts indicate the need for a strategic approach towards the Digital rEvolution age, particularly by equipping all our citizens with the knowledge and skills necessary in a technology-focused society.
*The campaign and the events are in line with the EU strategy Digital Single Market, Digital Skills EU initiative, as well as the global debate initiated by World Economic Forum Fourth Industrial Revolution!

Organizers:
Digital Citizens Romania is the initiator and coordinator of the campaign.
As the first Romanian Digital Think-Tank, launched in 2016, our platform brings together policy experts and digital enthusiasts.
The Strategic Directions assumed by our think-tank focus on three essential pillars:
Contributing to knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon of digitalization.
Creating a proper space for debate on the impact of digitalization, on short and long-term.
Supporting the process of adjusting new public policies to the evolution of the digital sector, while actively contributing and generating solutions capable of leading towards an intelligent, sustainable and inclusive economy.

Școala Finlandeză Sibiu – strategic partner and organizer of the event.
The school was founded in 2016 aiming to offer quality education by adapting the most performant educational model – the Finish one – to the Romanian realities. Based on the values of innovation, joy, excellency, family, integrity and community spirit, the school aims to approach education by taking into account the current trends through learning contexts adapted to the needs of the students and connected to the ever-changing world we live in.