"Learning from the Future" Symposium
This third symposium, conceived and organized by the Center for Support of Pedagogical Innovations (CSIP), was held on October 12 and 13 at the University of Montpellier. Here’s a look back at this must-attend event on pedagogical transformation in higher education, which brought together more than a hundred national and international experts.
At this event, the CSIP brought together a group of key stakeholders from various backgrounds, continuing a collective discussion that began in 2018. Thisthird symposium was held on October 12 and 13 at the University of Montpellier. The program included plenary sessions, workshops, futuristic brainstorming sessions, and a roundtable discussion, led by more than 30 high-level speakers. More than 100 Professors, students, decision-makers, educational engineers, EdTech professionals, and others gathered to reflect on educational trends and envision future prospects in the wake of a crisis that has shaken up the entire higher education sector.
“This event is an opportunity to look back on 10 years of educational transformation and on a crisis that has revealed as many needs as it has creativity and opportunities. Over the course of these two days, we were able to reflect and envision together what the university of 2031 will look like,” emphasizes Mireille Brangé, Coordinator of the National Strategy for Accelerating Education and Digital Technology at the General Secretariat for Investment (SGPI), who opened the symposium alongside Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, and Anne-Sophie Barthez, Director General of Higher Education and Professional Integration at the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESRI).
Unprecedented working sessions
The team at the Center for Support of Pedagogical Innovations, in collaboration with the Louvain Learning Lab, the Catholic University of Lille, and the National Center for Arts and Crafts, has proposed several innovative workshop sessions centered on three main themes that outline the key stages of the pedagogical transformation from 2010 to 2031. “The goal is to learn from the past 10 years, examine teaching and student practices, and identify the various challenges in order to generate relevant questions for the next 10 years , ” explains Brigitte Lundin, Director of the CSIP at the University of Montpellier.
Better Anticipate the Future
Teachers and students from all over France shared their experiences with teaching during the health crisis. “Beyond the initial shock and uncertainty, what we hope to do is work together to identify various educational initiatives so we can learn all the lessons from the crisis we’ve just been through,” explains Jean-Patrick Respaut, vice president for academic programs at the University of Montpellier. “We want to be better prepared for the future and avoid finding ourselves in the same unprepared situation we all faced.”
Finally, the presence of graphic facilitators made it possible to unveil a giant summary of the futuristic brainstorming workshops. These creative sessions energized the collective work and sparked innovative ideas about the future of higher education, with all its tensions and transformations. These two days of reflection and discussions concluded with a roundtable on international perspectives and future directions.“The future is here, and it starts now!” concluded Brigitte Lundin. The next event will be held in 2022.