📅 3 – 5 December 2025
Manila, Philippines
ADB will host the 11th edition of its International Education and Skills Forum themed “Applying a Fresh Lens to Unlock the Power of Human Capital” on 3-5 December 2025 at its headquarters in Manila. This year’s deliberations seek to enable education systems to respond quickly to transformational trends, and to better redress persistent challenges in the education and skills development sector.
Objectives
The forum will revolve around 3x3x3 lens:
Three themes addressing transformative features to reimagine and rejuvenate education systems:
- Realizing the potential of digital transformation of education and EdTech at scale.
- Promoting green and climate resilience skills to serve priority economic sectors for inclusive and sustainable growth; and
- Unlocking the role of education and training for future jobs in multi-sector contexts such as health and elderly care, sustainable and high-tech agriculture, sustainable transport, clean energy and resilient water sector.
Three dimensions addressing targets, standards and impact aspirations in education and training delivery:
- Enhancing quality, its measurement and monitoring including student learning assessments and employability results.
- Supporting inclusion and equity, including attention to newer dimensions of exclusion and disadvantage; and
- Building the future-readiness of education and training systems.
Three levels of education and training systems:
- Identifying new departures for investments in K-12 from early childhood education to senior secondary education.
- Channeling investments in technical and vocational education and training to deliver results in employability, productivity and competitiveness; and
- Accelerating developments in tertiary education and research and innovation in future oriented areas of science and technology.
Target participants
The forum aims to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders, including education ministers, global leaders, experts, policymakers, academia, private sector representatives, international organizations, and leading global experts. These participants will strategize new and rejuvenated approaches, investments, and partnerships to unlock the full potential of human capital across Asia and the Pacific region.
