European Edtech Alliance

Last week, over a hundred experts and actors in #AI and #education gathered in Strasbourg to explore the possibilities and the challenges in creating a legal instrument guiding the practice and development of AI systems. It was our honour to help facilitate the Council of Europe's 2nd Working Conference on Regulating AI Systems in Education and to join the organising team of Wayne Holmes Jen Persson RonSalaj, Christian M. Stracke and our very own Beth Havinga to develop this event. European Edtech Alliance’s Michelle DuQuette and Antonia Clary also played an important role in facilitating these new formats for engagement and organised an agenda of many speakers and interactive working sessions. Our key takeaways from the event includes: 👉 The use of AI in education needs to be transparent, accountable and aligned with established legal frameworks 👉 The individual nation's autonomy is incredibly important as they navigate these issues, especially in advancing AI literacy initiatives that support critical thinking. 👉 There are already so many great initiatives in the member state level that can inform and guide developments in other countries. 👉 We need to act together now - so many issues are affecting our learners and educators already and require practical support, not just academic discussion. 👉 Leverage the educational benefits of AI, and how it can foster innovation and positively change the way teachers can interact with their students. However, the main message on the future of education is that it is up to us collectively to use AI to serve our fundamental educational values and ensure a human-centered approach. Hence, the objectives of the conference was to offer actionable recommendations for the development of a legal instrument that ensures the ethical, equitable and effective use of AI systems in educational settings. These recommendations will be included in a Policy Toolkit and the Review system for the evaluation of #EdTech. A special acknowledgment to the outstanding CoE Education team who made this conference a landmark event: Villano Qiriazi, Ahmet Murat KILIÇ, Maria Benedita Santos Silva, Pierre Varasi, Eva Piu and more. #ai #ethics #policy

Today is the first of a two-day Education and Artificial Intelligence Council of Europe event. As a facilitator, we are honoured to play a vital role in this conference on Regulating the Use of AI Systems in Education, as this is an incredibly important topic for the European EdTech ecosystem. In addition to Beth Havinga, Managing Director of EEA, other top speakers at the conference include: Villano QIRIAZI | Head of the Education Department, Council of Europe Daniela Hau | Head of Innovation, SCRIPT / Ministry of Education | Luxembourg Christian M. Stracke | Coordinator for Cloud Strategy and AI&ED Research | University of Bonn Ayça Atabey | Researcher, University of Edinburgh, UK Lars Sollesnes | Senior Advisor, Education Ministry of Norway | Norway The attendees will get to listen to these and many other prominent speakers, before discussing the ideas they presented in our Clarifying Challenges workshops. These include: ✔ Leveraging potential benefits of AI within educational settings ✔ Safeguarding against potential risks and challenges of AI systems ✔ Identifying appropriate components of regulation of AI in education As a key output of this conference, the Council of Europe aims to produce: ◽ Actionable recommendations for the development of a legal instrument that ensures the ethical, equitable and effective use of AI systems in educational settings ◽ Key elements for the proposed legal instrument ◽ Informed feedback on the draft Policy Toolbox for Teaching and Learning With and About Artificial Intelligence and the Feasibility study for the development of a European Reference Framework for the Evaluation of Educational Technologies. You can read more about the conference here: https://lnkd.in/dm-kSuZS

The new EmpowerED website has launched, and it’s all about community! Whether you represent an EdTech company, an EdTech organisation, an EdTech support organisation, a school or a decision-making body, you are now able to register to our portal to enjoy the following benefits: 👉 Check out the directory to find other members of the community and start a conversation based on shared needs and interests. 👉 Access curated resources, including articles, datasets, and good examples of EdTech implementation in our resource repository, for guidance and inspiration. 👉 Contribute to the EmpowerED blog to share your testimonies and expertise with everyone visiting the platform. In an EdTech ecosystem where everyone speaks a ‘different language’, it is important to not only bring everyone together in a single space but also to provide the conditions for better communication. The EmpowerED community is such a space. Join us there and start the conversation 👉 https://lnkd.in/e6xi5a64 EmpowerED is funded by the European Commission, coordinated by European Schoolnet, includes us and EDUvation, Ministry of Education and Training, Ifous, Swedish Edtest, Wonderful Education, Švietimo, mokslo ir sporto ministerija, Computer Technology Institute and Press “DIOPHANTUS” (CTI) and FundingBox.

🗓️ Just 30 Days Away & You Won’t Want To Miss This! Mark your calendars to join us on November 21 and 22 in Zurich🇨🇭 or remote 👩💻. 🚀 Collaborate with Industry Leaders: Work alongside innovative minds from renowned publishers like Hueber Verlag, KLV Verlag, Westermann Schweiz AG, Careum & hep Verlag AG. This is your chance to network and collaborate with top professionals in the EdTech and publishing sectors. 🧠 Empower Your Creativity: Engage in a dynamic environment where you can brainstorm, prototype, and develop solutions that enhance the interoperability of educational content. Break out of your silos and explore new ideas! 🚀 Showcase Your Skills: Present your projects in front of a jury of EdTech experts during the Pitches & Award Ceremony. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain recognition and feedback on your innovative solutions. 🌎 Contribute to making learning content more accessible and interoperable, helping to shape the future of open knowledge. We are thrilled to have Bär & Karrer, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Schweiz, Hasler Stiftung, and Wikimedia CH as our sponsors. Their support enables us to create an inspiring and resource-rich environment for all participants. Don’t miss out on this chance to be part of the bitmark Hackathon 2024. 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/dg7uUHMJ We can't wait to see you there! 🎉 #bitmarkHackathon #EdTech #Interoperability #Innovation

Introducing Thomas Van Cauwenberghe, our General Board member!     Thomas is a dynamic opinion leader in the field of educational technology, currently serving as the Station Chief of edtechstation, the Belgian EdTech hub. With the <edtech/station> team, he has rapidly gathered almost half of the 400 companies active in the Belgian EdTech market into a thriving ecosystem. Based on his international economics and marketing background, Thomas has developed a strong commitment to innovation and development over the years. He has been instrumental in bringing together businesses, researchers, schools, and L&D departments to collaborate on new educational technologies.  Please join us in welcoming Thomas to our board!

Meet Albena Spasova, our General Board member!   Albena is a change management influencer with over 25 years of experience in education, brand success, cyber security, and safety. As a former Director of Education at Microsoft, she led a dynamic team across 24 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, empowering governments, universities, school leaders, principals, teachers, and students to achieve more and transform the education systems. In addition to her role at Microsoft, Albena founded and currently serves as President of the Management Board for the International Cybercrime Investigation Training Academy, established in 2009. Her expertise in cybersecurity extends to her previous position as Law Enforcement Director at eBay Europe, where she provided strategic advice and policy coordination on critical issues protecting services offered by eBay Group Members, including eBay, PayPal, and Skype. Moreover, she has contributed her knowledge as an expert for the Council of Europe, advising on the adoption and implementation of the Cybercrime Convention, and has supported various missions for the European Commission, assisting governments in both EU and non-EU countries. Albena, the Co-founder of EdTech Bulgaria, is a true leader in driving change and enhancing security in the digital age, and we’re glad to have her join our board!

Introducing Alicia Berlanga, our General Board member!    Since 1997, Alicia has been a driving force in European Commission programmes focused on education, including Leonardo, Socrates, eLearning, Tempus and Erasmus+. In her role as project leader and evaluator, she has led many significant contributions to the field. From 2005 to 2017, she served as Project Coordinator at the UNESCO Chair of Higher Education Management (UPC-BarcelonaTech), where she managed impactful projects across 10 countries that focused on eLearning, quality, and strategy in university management. Alicia has also worked as Product Manager at Linkia FP, the first association of official online professional education schools in Spain, offering technical degrees in Informatics, Healthcare, Business Management, Tourism, and more, with over 3,000 students. She currently manages the Edutech Cluster, the Spanish EdTech association, further solidifying her commitment to advancing education through technology. Please join us in welcoming Alicia to our board!

Meet Donatella Solda, our General Board member! In 2018, Donatella co-founded Wonderful Education, an Edtech company running several projects, including Future Education Institute in Modena, Italy, where she now serves as Director. This important institute functions as both an R&D hub and a sandbox for EdTech initiatives. Donatella also co-founded Edtech Italia, of which she is President. Her impressive background includes serving as Cabinet Executive Director for four Ministers of Education and Innovation, along with extensive experience as a researcher and lecturer on new technologies and information law, European law, and human rights law, across Italy, the United Kingdom, and Poland. Donatella is a true leader in the EdTech landscape, and we are glad to have her on the EEA board.

Meet Tobias Himmerich, our Treasurer!   Tobias Himmerich is the visionary founder and CEO of EDUvation,  a leading German association supporting EdTech startups. With over 15 years of experience in building a sustainable EdTech company from the ground up, Tobias brings unparalleled expertise and insights to the table. As the EEA’s Treasurer since its inception, he possesses a deep understanding of German legislation and tax system, ensuring seamless business operations and compliance with all public requirements. His leadership in these areas is instrumental in driving our mission forward!

Introducing our Second Chair, Flora Retfalvi, PhD! Based in Hungary, Flora leads two innovative companies. One, KidSpirit, is dedicated to supporting special needs children, and the other, Edutech, is a trailblazer in digital education, IT talent management, and training. She also holds the position of Vice-President of EduTech Hungary. Flora excels in fostering strategic goals, enhancing communication and engagement, managing members, and building institutional relationships. Most importantly, for Flora, education is more than a profession–it’s a passion. She firmly believes that education is the key to the future, and she is committed to unlocking its potential.