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UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

01/21/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 01/21/2025 16:27

Artificial Intelligence And Planning The Future Of Education

Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools are disrupting education systems worldwide, yet their role in educational planning and management is not fully understood.

IIEP-UNESCO and Beijing Normal University(BNU)'s Smart Learning Institute have launched the two-year research project Empowering Educational Planning and Management with AI and Other Innovative Digital Toolsto address this knowledge gap.

The study focuses on how AI and other advanced digital technologies - e.g. blockchain and big data -are integrated into educational policies, planning, and management systems and processes.

The project will offer practical recommendations for responsibly and equitably using these tools in education by exploring their application, challenges, and impacts. The research will focus on China as well as nine other selected countries.

Filling a knowledge gap

Questions abound on the use and impact of AI and other advanced technologies, and many gaps remain in understanding how they are incorporated into education policies and governance mechanisms in different countries and contexts.

For example, how are they being applied to areas like early warning systems, resource allocation, teacher management, or student admissions? To what extent can these tools address educational inequalities and improve access to quality education in underserved regions? Finally, what ethical and privacy concerns arise from their implementation, and how can these be addressed to ensure responsible use of AI in education systems?

Launching the research in Beijing

This new research collaboration was formally launched during an International Seminar on Educational Planning and Governance in the Intelligent Era, held from January 14-20, 2025, in Beijing, China.

Organized by BNU and the Department of Development Planning of the Chinese Ministry of Education in collaboration with IIEP and the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education, the Opening Ceremony attended by some 300 participants was followed by a Seminar gathering about 40 education planners and practitioners from around the world and several Chinese provinces to discuss innovative approaches to using AI in education.

The Seminar featured keynotes, collaborative sessions, and workshops that covered topics such as the future of educational planning, AI and digital tools in educational planning and management, AI policy design, use of AI and other digital to improve transparency and accountability in education and the competencies of educational planners in a digital era.

During the Seminar, IIEP Director Martín Benavides reflected on the transformative potential of AI and technology in education. He stressed the power of data-driven decision-making to identify gaps, monitor progress, and predict trends, such as using GIS maps to highlight unequal school access. Technology can also support efficient resource allocation, such as matching teachers and students to schools, and real-time policy-making with tools like Education Information Management Systems (EMIS) and early-warning systems to identify students at risk of dropping out.

By thoughtfully integrating technology and innovation, we can transform educational planning to build resilient, inclusive, and future-ready systems.

Martín BenavidesDirector, IIEP-UNESCO

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Martín Benavides, IIEP Director, delivered a keynote on "Future of Educational Planning" at the Seminar on Educational Planning and Governance in the Intelligent Era.

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Muriel Poisson, Team Leader a.i, Knowledge Generation and Mobilization of IIEP, introduced the Beijing Normal University - IIEP Joint Research project "Empowering Educational Planning and Management with AI and Other Innovative Digital Tools".

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Muriel Poisson, Team Leader a.i, Knowledge Generation and Mobilization of IIEP, introduced the Beijing Normal University - IIEP joint research project "Empowering Educational Planning and Management with AI and Other Innovative Digital Tools".

SLIBNU

All rights reserved

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All rights reserved

100+ education sector plans reviewed

To kick off the research, IIEP has already started making a systematic review of 105 Education Sector Plans (ESPs) from 45 UNESCO Member States to analyze how they refer to the integration of AI and other digital tools in education systems. This has helped create a conceptual framework articulating the implications of AI for educational governance, IT infrastructure, teaching and learning, and educational planning and management.

This research fills a significant gap by examining how AI and digital tools can enhance educational planning processes while addressing issues of equity, quality, and ethical implementation.

Muriel PoissonTeam Leader a.i. for Knowledge Generation and Mobilization, IIEP-UNESCO

AI in action: growing interest, growing concerns

In another panel presentation, Muriel Poisson offered some real-world applications of AI and other digital tools in educational planning and management. For example, Brunei Darussalam has implemented a centralized platform to manage student assessments and to ensure transparent and equitable admissions processes in higher education, while Estonia uses big data analytics to align education outcomes with labour market needs, helping to foster lifelong learning and adaptability for future skills.

While the opportunities are vast, Poisson also highlighted ethical concerns, spanning data privacy and security, equity and accessibility, and transparency and accountability.

"AI systems can perpetuate biases if not designed and monitored carefully" she said. "Continuous evaluation and adjustments are necessary to avoid unintended consequences, such as unequal resource allocation or exclusionary policies."

Participants of the Seminar on Educational Planning and Governance in the Intelligent Era listened to the keynote on "Application of AI in Educational Planning" by IIEP's Muriel Poisson.

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Educational leadership in digital era

Competencies required by educational planners in a digital era is another area of interest highlighted during the Seminar.

Beatriz Pont, IIEP's Training Lead, facilitated group discussions on the challenges faced in the digital era, focusing on the key competencies needed to harness the potential of technology and strategies to enhance digital literacy and adaptability.

This marks another area to be further explored in alignment with IIEP's work on leadership development .

Beatriz Pont, Global Training Practice Lead of IIEP, facilitated a roundtable discussion on "Educational Leadership: Competencies of Educational Planners in a Digital Era".

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A path forward

Over the next two years, the collaborative research with BNU and IIEP will synthesize findings from the ten selected countries to identify best practices and address gaps in AI integration for educational planning.

The research outputs will include methodological guidelines for integrating digital tools in educational planning and management, a synthesis report on key findings, and practical recommendations for policy and practice.