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In this program, we will discuss how liberal arts education will evolve in the world 25 years from now from a global perspective. Liberal arts education is a style of education that fosters broad knowledge and critical thinking across diverse academic disciplines, and there are many aspects of liberal arts education that differ from the Japanese educational system. Youths from around the world will discuss the characteristics and challenges of liberal arts education in their respective countries - drawing out commonalities and issues, and thinking about the future of education in the realm of technological development and greater globalization. At the end of the program, there will be an interactive quiz with a chance to win prizes! This is a valuable opportunity for those interested in liberal arts education to think about the future of liberal arts education. We look forward to seeing you there!

【Reflection】
The dialogue programme offered a rare and valuable opportunity to gather young leaders and experts from diverse countries and backgrounds to discuss the possible future of liberal arts education in 2050.

Liberal arts education originates from the concept of “the learning that liberates humanity”. It is an education that cultivates knowledge across broad fields such as the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, and the ability to integrate this knowledge to view matters from multiple angles and think critically. It aims not merely at acquiring specialised knowledge, but at nurturing comprehensive human capabilities—such as logical thinking, ethical judgement, expressive skills, and dialogue abilities—to cultivate individuals who can act on their own judgement within today's rapidly changing society.

The exchanges revealed a broad consensus that the role of education goes far beyond the acquisition of knowledge and technical skills: rather, education should equip learners with adaptability, resilience, critical thinking, and the capacity to engage in democratic processes and social contribution.

Participants shared concrete perspectives from their own contexts. Mr Derick Omari highlighted how accessibility and inclusive design can enable learners with disabilities to participate equally, emphasising the potential of community-based learning hubs in Africa. Mr Yi Jun Mock stressed the importance of integrating career guidance into formal education so that all young people, regardless of socio-economic background, can access opportunities. Mr Toshin Sequeira drew attention to how governments can embed experiential and phenomenon-based learning in curricula, citing Finnish reforms as a reference point. Mr Jeremy Raguain illustrated how climate change and environmental challenges must be mainstreamed into education systems, with experiential and intergenerational learning playing a central role. Mayor Ryosuke Takashima emphasised the civic role of schools as spaces for democratic practice and social cohesion, arguing that education should nurture active and compassionate citizens.

Through these diverse insights, the session shed light on both universal challenges and locally specific approaches. It became evident that liberal arts education in the future must be reframed as lifelong learning, blurring the boundaries between formal schooling, community practice, and the workplace. The discussions also underscored the need to balance technological progress—including the use of generative AI—with the preservation of human connection, empathy, and storytelling.

Overall, the programme demonstrated the effectiveness of convening cross-cultural dialogues. It fostered empathy and mutual understanding while also producing tangible ideas for policy, curriculum, and community initiatives. The lively participation of both on-site and online audiences, including through interactive quizzes, further underlined the value of integrating play with learning. The session succeeded not only in deepening awareness of future educational challenges, but also in motivating participants to see themselves as co-creators of solutions.


【Post EXPO Initiatives】
Following the programme, the organisers and participants shared a strong determination to continue the momentum generated by the dialogue. Several concrete directions emerged for post-EXPO initiatives.

First, there was agreement on building a sustainable international network to exchange educational practices across borders. This includes further collaboration between organisations such as Advisory Singapore, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, and grassroots initiatives in Africa and island states. By creating a platform for continuous dialogue, these actors aim to ensure that lessons shared in the programme are not limited to a one-off discussion.

Second, participants highlighted the importance of embedding inclusivity and accessibility into every level of education. Inspired by Mr Omari’s experience, efforts will focus on promoting community-based learning models that support both young learners and adults with diverse needs. In Japan, Mayor Takashima expressed interest in transforming local schools into hubs for lifelong learning, open to older generations as well as children, thereby fostering intergenerational exchange.

Third, the programme reinforced the necessity of integrating environmental and social challenges into curricula. Mr Raguain’s call to mainstream climate change education will be taken forward through pilot projects, aiming to link local communities with global issues. Similarly, Mr Sequeira’s examples of phenomenon-based learning have encouraged participants to explore curriculum reforms that cut across traditional disciplines.

Finally, there was a shared recognition that technology, particularly generative AI, should be leveraged to expand access and personalise learning while ensuring that the human elements of mentorship, empathy, and collaboration remain central. To this end, follow-up workshops and joint research projects are being planned to test hybrid models of digital and community learning.

In sum, the post-EXPO initiatives will focus on transforming the spirit of the dialogue into concrete practices: creating cross-border networks, embedding inclusivity, mainstreaming global challenges into education, and responsibly integrating technology. The ambition is not only to respond to the questions raised in the dialogue, but to translate them into systemic change that will shape the future of liberal arts education worldwide.


*Part or all of this report was generated by AI.