The G20 Education Dialogue & International Forum on Education and Sustainable Development was recently held in Beijing, where members and global experts called for urgent reforms to education systems to accelerate progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and adapt to the AI era.

With the theme Education, Sustainable Development and Our Common Future, the event brought together approximately 200 policymakers, education experts, scholars and student representatives from G20 member states, guest countries and international organizations.

The event was hosted by the Beijing Foreign Studies University and co-organized with the China Education Association for International Exchange, serving as a significant follow-up to the 2024 G20 Education Dialogue and commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the United Nations.

Liu Xinlu, vice-president of BFSU, emphasized the foundational role of education in sustainable development. "Education is not only a goal in itself but the key to unlocking all other SDGs. In the face of global challenges, G20 members must deepen collaboration to ensure inclusive, equitable and high-quality education for all," he stated.

Professor Norman Mosia, vice-president of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, said, "Although we come from diverse cultural backgrounds, political systems, and economic development stages, and face varied and complex national circumstances, our destinies are closely intertwined. This interconnectedness is inevitable—we need each other and are interdependent".

Initiated in 2016, the G20 Education Dialogue serves as platform to promote policy exchanges, research collaborations, and innovative practices in education across G20 countries and beyond.