hat’s next for education and work? Not long ago, when we asked that question people were likely to talk about transforming education or the relationship between degrees, skills, and the rapidly evolving workplace. Today, those conversations feel as though they’ve largely been set to the side as we focus on more immediate challenges. Geopolitical disruptions and an even further acceleration of technological innovation have distracted us from thinking about, in a systemic sense, what the future of education and work should look like.
We cannot let ourselves become so distracted by what is happening today that we lose sight of what needs to be done to usher in a future of robust, resilient, inclusive education and work ecosystems. The pressures impacting the world today also affect the future of education and work, but they aren’t truly new pressures. Instead, they illustrate how long–standing vulnerabilities in our systems are made much worse as global pressures evolve.
Rather than distracting us, the polycrisis pressures at play today should redouble our resolve to truly set the stage to help the future of education and work arrive well. If we don’t, those futures could be very fraught, indeed.
Diplomatic Courier asked its network of World in 2050 experts to reflect on the core, systemic issues impacting education and work. We asked them how current events change things. Are we nearing a breakthrough moment? A crisis moment? What priorities should public or private stakeholders shift, compared to conventional wisdom only a year or two ago, to get us back on track for a future of education and work that arrives well.
We are excited to share this digital anthology on the future of education and work, full of insights from our network! We hope you find it useful.
You can access the entire anthology, free, here.
As ever, thank you for reading!
a global affairs media network
Don’t lose sight of the future of education and work
Image via Adobe Stock.
May 28, 2025
The world is a messier place than we’re used to—and distractions mean we could lose sight of fundamental challenges facing the future of education and work. In Diplomatic Courier’s latest anthology, our experts examine how crisis has, or should, reshape our approach to education and the workplace.
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hat’s next for education and work? Not long ago, when we asked that question people were likely to talk about transforming education or the relationship between degrees, skills, and the rapidly evolving workplace. Today, those conversations feel as though they’ve largely been set to the side as we focus on more immediate challenges. Geopolitical disruptions and an even further acceleration of technological innovation have distracted us from thinking about, in a systemic sense, what the future of education and work should look like.
We cannot let ourselves become so distracted by what is happening today that we lose sight of what needs to be done to usher in a future of robust, resilient, inclusive education and work ecosystems. The pressures impacting the world today also affect the future of education and work, but they aren’t truly new pressures. Instead, they illustrate how long–standing vulnerabilities in our systems are made much worse as global pressures evolve.
Rather than distracting us, the polycrisis pressures at play today should redouble our resolve to truly set the stage to help the future of education and work arrive well. If we don’t, those futures could be very fraught, indeed.
Diplomatic Courier asked its network of World in 2050 experts to reflect on the core, systemic issues impacting education and work. We asked them how current events change things. Are we nearing a breakthrough moment? A crisis moment? What priorities should public or private stakeholders shift, compared to conventional wisdom only a year or two ago, to get us back on track for a future of education and work that arrives well.
We are excited to share this digital anthology on the future of education and work, full of insights from our network! We hope you find it useful.
You can access the entire anthology, free, here.
As ever, thank you for reading!
