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September 24th, 2026
As AI evolves from a tool into infrastructure, education is entering a new era. Exploring the systems, ideas, and real-world applications shaping the future of learning.
EdHeroes Global Forum:
AI and the Architecture of Future Learning
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Online • Free
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✦ Register now to get your certificate
✦ Register now to get your certificate
✦ Register now to get your certificate
Read about 2025 Forum Experience
Speakers
Topics
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What to Expect
What to Expect
EdHeroes Global Forum 2026
Strategic Connections
A global network of educators and changemakers
Ethics & Governance
Trust, policy, and responsible implementation
Real-World Applications
Practical AI use cases in learning
Cross-Sector Dialogue
Education, policy, and innovation perspectives
Expert Panels
Global voices across AI and education
Barbara Oakley
Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan
Barbara Oakley is a Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Her work focuses on the complex relationship between neuroscience and social behavior. She created and teaches Coursera's "Learning How to Learn," one of the world's most popular massive open online course with over three million registered students, along with other popular "Top Online Courses of All Time." Barb is a New York Times best-selling author who has published in outlets as varied as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times—her book A Mind for Numbers has sold over a million copies worldwide. She is the winner of the McGraw Prize—the colloquial "Nobel Prize for Education" and is a Fellow of both the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
Barbara Oakley is a Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Her work focuses on the complex relationship between neuroscience and social behavior. She created and teaches Coursera's "Learning How to Learn," one of the world's most popular massive open online course with over three million registered students, along with other popular "Top Online Courses of All Time." Barb is a New York Times best-selling author who has published in outlets as varied as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times—her book A Mind for Numbers has sold over a million copies worldwide. She is the winner of the McGraw Prize—the colloquial "Nobel Prize for Education" and is a Fellow of both the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
Steven Duggan
Vice President of Terawe Corporation
Steven Duggan is Vice President, International of Terawe, a global technology solutions & services company serving both blue chip and SME clients across 12 different industries.
Being a member of the Governing Board of the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education, where he represented the global IT Industry, Steven authored the UNESCO policy brief on the use of AI in Education, ‘Change at the Speed of Learning’, which was provided to the governments of the 193 UNESCO member states.
Steven has worked in the technology industry for over 30 years, including several years as Microsoft’s Director of Worldwide Education Strategy. A regular speaker at international events, he has a passionate interest in literacy and the role of technology in disadvantaged communities and has delivered a TEDx talk on the subject as well as writing and presenting the documentary feature ‘The First Mile’ (winner of the Gold Award at the Deauville International Film Festival).
Steven Duggan is Vice President, International of Terawe, a global technology solutions & services company serving both blue chip and SME clients across 12 different industries.
Being a member of the Governing Board of the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education, where he represented the global IT Industry, Steven authored the UNESCO policy brief on the use of AI in Education, ‘Change at the Speed of Learning’, which was provided to the governments of the 193 UNESCO member states.
Steven has worked in the technology industry for over 30 years, including several years as Microsoft’s Director of Worldwide Education Strategy. A regular speaker at international events, he has a passionate interest in literacy and the role of technology in disadvantaged communities and has delivered a TEDx talk on the subject as well as writing and presenting the documentary feature ‘The First Mile’ (winner of the Gold Award at the Deauville International Film Festival).
Harry Patrinos
Senior Adviser World Bank Education, EdHeroes Advisory Board Member
Harry Anthony Patrinos is Adviser, Office of the Chief Economist for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank. He specializes in the economics of education, particularly the returns to schooling, school-based management, demand-side financing and public-private partnerships. He has managed education teams in Europe and Central Asia, East Asia and the Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, and the Global Unit. He led lending operations and analytical work programs in Latin America. He co-led the development of the Bank's Harmonized Learning Outcomes database, part of the Human Capital Index, published in Nature. He has studied and worked extensively on the socioeconomic status of Indigenous Peoples and has co-authored books and reports on this subject including Indigenous Peoples, Poverty and Development (Cambridge).
Mr. Patrinos has many publications in the academic and policy literature, with more than 60 journal articles published. He is co-author of the books: Making Schools Work; The Role and Impact of Public-Private Partnerships in Education; and Decentralized Decision-Making in Schools. His work appears - among other outlets - in the Nature, Journal of Development Economics, Economic Development and Cultural Change, Journal of Population Economics, Education Economics, Labour, and the Economics of Education Review. He also worked in Africa, Asia and North America. He previously worked as an economist at the Economic Council of Canada. Mr. Patrinos received a doctorate from the University of Sussex.
Harry Anthony Patrinos is Adviser, Office of the Chief Economist for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank. He specializes in the economics of education, particularly the returns to schooling, school-based management, demand-side financing and public-private partnerships. He has managed education teams in Europe and Central Asia, East Asia and the Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, and the Global Unit. He led lending operations and analytical work programs in Latin America. He co-led the development of the Bank's Harmonized Learning Outcomes database, part of the Human Capital Index, published in Nature. He has studied and worked extensively on the socioeconomic status of Indigenous Peoples and has co-authored books and reports on this subject including Indigenous Peoples, Poverty and Development (Cambridge).
Mr. Patrinos has many publications in the academic and policy literature, with more than 60 journal articles published. He is co-author of the books: Making Schools Work; The Role and Impact of Public-Private Partnerships in Education; and Decentralized Decision-Making in Schools. His work appears - among other outlets - in the Nature, Journal of Development Economics, Economic Development and Cultural Change, Journal of Population Economics, Education Economics, Labour, and the Economics of Education Review. He also worked in Africa, Asia and North America. He previously worked as an economist at the Economic Council of Canada. Mr. Patrinos received a doctorate from the University of Sussex.
William Kuskin, PhD
Professor and Chair, Department of English, University of Colorado Boulder
A professor of literature at the University of Colorado Boulder, Dr. Kuskin currently serves as the Chair of the Department of English. He was Associate Dean for Digital Education in the College of Engineering and Applied Science, and before that, Vice Provost for Academic Innovation.
Dr. Kuskin has written on the transition from manuscripts to print in the Middle Ages and on Comic Books and Graphic Novels in our own time. He has three decades of experience in online education. In 2013 he launched the MOOC, “Comic Books and Graphic Novels,” an early humanities course that served over seventy-thousand students. In 2016 he created a popular MOOC on Public Speaking, and in 2019 oversaw the launch of the University of Colorado Boulder’s revolutionary MS in Electrical Engineering on the Coursera platform.
A professor of literature at the University of Colorado Boulder, Dr. Kuskin currently serves as the Chair of the Department of English. He was Associate Dean for Digital Education in the College of Engineering and Applied Science, and before that, Vice Provost for Academic Innovation.
Dr. Kuskin has written on the transition from manuscripts to print in the Middle Ages and on Comic Books and Graphic Novels in our own time. He has three decades of experience in online education. In 2013 he launched the MOOC, “Comic Books and Graphic Novels,” an early humanities course that served over seventy-thousand students. In 2016 he created a popular MOOC on Public Speaking, and in 2019 oversaw the launch of the University of Colorado Boulder’s revolutionary MS in Electrical Engineering on the Coursera platform.
Anthony Salcito
Chief Institution Officer, Nerdy
Anthony Salcito, Chief Institution Business Officer, leads Varsity Tutors for Schools and is responsible for Nerdy’s efforts to support institutions as they work to transform learning opportunities for students and educators across a range of offerings. Prior to joining Nerdy, Anthony served as Vice President of Worldwide Education at Microsoft. In this role, he was responsible for driving Microsoft’s education engagement and relationships globally, including long-term partnerships with schools, universities and other public sector customers. Throughout his Microsoft career, he helped launch many of the company’s cornerstone education programs and is recognized as a champion for teachers and a global education thought leader.
Anthony Salcito, Chief Institution Business Officer, leads Varsity Tutors for Schools and is responsible for Nerdy’s efforts to support institutions as they work to transform learning opportunities for students and educators across a range of offerings. Prior to joining Nerdy, Anthony served as Vice President of Worldwide Education at Microsoft. In this role, he was responsible for driving Microsoft’s education engagement and relationships globally, including long-term partnerships with schools, universities and other public sector customers. Throughout his Microsoft career, he helped launch many of the company’s cornerstone education programs and is recognized as a champion for teachers and a global education thought leader.
Ben Nelson
Founder & CEO, Minerva Project
Ben Nelson is Founder and CEO of Minerva Project and Founder of Minerva University, and a visionary with a mission to reinvent higher education. Ben founded Minerva in 2011 with the goal of nurturing critical wisdom for the sake of the world through a systematic and evidence-based approach to learning. Nelson has since built Minerva University, ranked as the most innovative university in the world, and has developed a business to share Minerva's unique approach with other like-minded institutions, corporations, and governments. Minerva Project has since accelerated the creation of groundbreaking new programs, new colleges, and entirely new universities worldwide. Prior to Minerva, Nelson spent ten years at Snapfish, where he helped build the company from startup to the world’s largest personal publishing service. Serving as CEO from 2005 through 2010, Nelson began his tenure at Snapfish by leading the company’s sale to Hewlett Packard for $300 million. Nelson holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where he created a blueprint for curricular reform in his first year, the principles from which he drew to frame Minerva.
Ben Nelson is Founder and CEO of Minerva Project and Founder of Minerva University, and a visionary with a mission to reinvent higher education. Ben founded Minerva in 2011 with the goal of nurturing critical wisdom for the sake of the world through a systematic and evidence-based approach to learning. Nelson has since built Minerva University, ranked as the most innovative university in the world, and has developed a business to share Minerva's unique approach with other like-minded institutions, corporations, and governments. Minerva Project has since accelerated the creation of groundbreaking new programs, new colleges, and entirely new universities worldwide. Prior to Minerva, Nelson spent ten years at Snapfish, where he helped build the company from startup to the world’s largest personal publishing service. Serving as CEO from 2005 through 2010, Nelson began his tenure at Snapfish by leading the company’s sale to Hewlett Packard for $300 million. Nelson holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where he created a blueprint for curricular reform in his first year, the principles from which he drew to frame Minerva.
Speakers
Swipe left or right
Distinguished Professor of Engineering, Oakland University; Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
(USA)
Founder & CEO, Minerva Project
(USA)
Vice Chancellor of the Emirates College for Advanced Education
(UAE)
Dr. May Al Tae
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Vice President, Terawe Corporation Former Microsoft’s Director of Worldwide Education Strategy; EdHeroes Advisory Board member
(Ireland)
Professor and Chair, Department of English, University of Colorado Boulder
(USA)
Chief Institution Officer, Nerdy
(USA)
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i
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Head, Department of Education Reform, and Endowed Chair, at the University of Arkansas; Former Senior Adviser, World Bank Education; EdHeroes Advisory Board member
(USA)
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More speakers to be announced soon
Forum Tracks
Practical Applications and Implementation
Track 3
- Assessment, Credentials, and Trust After Generative AI
- Practical Applications: AI in Real Learning Environments
- AI for Everyday Learning: Simple Tools for Teachers and Students
Humanity, Ethics, and Human Development
Track 2
- Human Agency, Cognition, and the Future of Intelligence
- Teachers, Learners, and Human—AI Partnership
- Ethics, Trust, and Responsible AI Use in Education
- Preparing Humans for Flourishing in an AI Age
- Equity and Public Interest in AI-Driven Education
AI and the Future of Education
Track 1
- Beyond AI Tools: Designing Future Learning Systems
- From Education Systems to Intelligent Societies
- AI Governance and Policy for Education
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Educators and academic leaders
Policymakers and public sector representatives
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EdTech founders and innovators
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Researchers and learning designers
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School and university decision-makers
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Students and future-focused changemakers
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Who Should Attend
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Previous Editions
2025
10th July
Exploring how emerging technologies, ethical AI, and cross-sector collaboration are transforming learning systems worldwide.
Exploring how cultural heritage shapes modern education systems and strengthens global learning communities.
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2024
11–12th July
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What Our Speakers Say
What I love about the EdHeroes Global Forum is that it draws people from every corner of the world who are serious about whether students actually learn. That kind of focus—across so many countries and contexts—is rarer than you'd think, and I'm always glad to be part of it.
Barbara Oakley, Ph.D.
P.E., FAAAS, FIEEE, FAIMBE; Distinguished Professor of Engineering; Oakland University
Speaking at the EdHeroes Forum reminded me that meaningful progress in learning does not happen in isolation. EdHeroes is a true catalyst for growth, inspiring both educators and learners to think beyond boundaries and work collectively toward a more informed and empowered future.
Francisco J. Marmolejo
Higher Education President & Education Advisor; Qatar Foundation Higher Education—President Office
As Generative AI and other emerging technologies transform the world at unprecedented rates, it has never been more important to create effective, scalable educational systems: one that can equip the world's learners with the right skills they need to grow their careers. The EdHeroes mission is a critical one, and it is only by connecting passionate, motivated change-makers that we can foster the institutional collaboration that will be necessary to prepare hundreds of millions of learners to succeed in an AI economy.
Marni Baker Stein
Chief Content Officer at Coursera
In my experience, meaningful transformation in education begins when we truly listen to communities and empower them to lead. What I value about EdHeroes is its ability to bring these voices together through the Global Forum, creating a space where dialogue becomes action. It is not simply a platform, but a bridge between local wisdom and global collaboration. Within this connection, sustainable impact is born.
Osama Obeidat
Advisor, Emirates College for Advanced Education, Former CEO, Queen Rania Teacher Academy
Honoured to join the EdHeroes Global Forum as a speaker and engage in crucial conversations with global voices in education. The dialogue around technology, ethics, equity, and policy reminds us that the future of education must be shaped not only by innovation, but also by responsibility and inclusion.
Nanthaporn Prae Seributra, PhD
CEO. Starfish Education
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