On 28 April, Bett Asia was honoured to be selected to speak at the prestigious SEAMEO Congress 2021 annual event organised by the South East Asian Ministries of Education Organisation together with the Ministry of Education of Thailand.

With over 7,500 attendees and 31,000 YouTube views to date, the two-day event provided a platform for education leaders, government representatives, and public and private educational institutions and agencies from over 22 countries to share their innovations, breakthroughs, and best practices under the overarching theme of: “Transforming Southeast Asian Education, Science and Culture in the Digital Age”.

Bett Asia Director Jacqui Dynowski and Bett Global Head of Content Sarah Marshall were invited to discuss the future of work and youth skills in the digital age as part of a panel of high-profile education leaders in the region, including representatives from UNESCO Bangkok, the Philippines Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Global Partnership for Education.

As part of their presentation the Bett team presented the following four key initiatives to consider when building future skills in schools and Higher Education:

• System-level curriculum change to embed digital skills
• Encourage partnership with industry at system and school/university level
• Focus on “softer” skills to increase creativity and emotional intelligence
• Develop computational thinking capabilities

During the main panel discussion, Bett Asia Director Jacqui Dynowski highlighted that, ultimately,  partnerships between government, educators, parents, and business are the key to transforming traditional approaches to education so that we can: realise the potential of the fourth industrial revolution, prepare Generation Alpha to thrive in disruption and ensure a resilient and dynamic socio-economic future for Southeast Asia.

These key findings are grounded in evidence from the ongoing conversations, research, and practices within the Bett Global community of educators, policy-makers, and EdTech solutions providers. Most notably, Bett was privileged to convene Southeast Asian Ministries of Education, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), and leading solutions providers as part of a roundtable in November 2020, discussing how the region’s experiences of and responses to the COVID-19 crisis have impacted their long-term priorities. The discussion was documented and contextualised in wider research as part of a white paper curated in partnership with HP: Education for the future: Evidence-based priorities for Southeast Asia 

“It was inspiring to listen to the strategies and ideas from the ministries of education and to be a part of that conversation. The momentum has been created and the partnerships and creative education possibilities with HE, TVET, K-12, government, and industry are not only incredible but necessary to create a relevant and skilled workforce for whatever the future holds.”

Jacqui Dynowski, Director, Bett Asia

Through having this opportunity to gain invaluable insight, approaches, and fresh thinking from the Southeast Asia region, Bett Asia feels more empowered than ever to connect, inspire, and innovate with their community to drive the future of education.

Re-watch the session here and discover more about the SEAMEO Congress 2021 event here