Dubai, UAE, 19 November 2024- The Knowledge Summit 2024 hosted a series of sessions and discussions on the first day focusing on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the future economy, ways to enhance the capabilities of the workforce to fuel economic growth, and the most recent trends shaping education and skills.
During a session entitled: ‘Shaping the Future: Equal Work and Skilling Opportunities in an AI-Driven World’, Nikolaz Foucaud, Managing Director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), emphasized the significance of training in new skills imposed by the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence, focusing on the necessity of mandatory training in these skills, and how digital training programs achieve equal opportunities for beneficiaries of the Coursera platform wherever they are.
The second session, themed ‘AI Transformation: The Widespread Impact and What It Could Mean for Your Industry,’ featured speakers, including Safia Tmiri, Executive Director at Alfanar, and Bas Puts, Global Head of Learning & Skill Architecture at Siemens. They discussed the changes industries face in the age of AI and reviewed the latest strategies and methods for adapting to these changes while continuing to achieve growth. They also provided real-life examples and practical future visions that companies and private and public institutions can benefit from to maximize the potential of emerging technologies.
The third session, titled ‘Global Skill Trends: Transforming Insights into Impact’, was provided by speakers, including Scott Shireman, Director, University of Michigan Center for Innovation; Alison Ettridge, Director of Global Talent Intelligence, Lightcast; and Riana De Bruyn, Group Head: Learning Governance, Insight, and Innovation, Standard Bank Africa. This session, moderated by Pedro Moura, Strategic Partnerships Director, Coursera, discussed ways to keep pace with emerging trends and skills. It also explored the most significant skills trends for 2024, outlined realistic plans for creating effective educational programs, and highlighted strategies to transform ideas into practical solutions.
The Summit also hosted 16 winners of the FutureSkills4All initiative during discussion sessions entitled: “Inspiring Journeys with FutureSkills4All’. At these sessions, the winners talked about their unique training experience and how they were able to benefit from the skills they learned through the initiative, which contributed to developing their professional and personal paths, thus contributing effectively to supporting their communities.
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