The 2026 Sustainable Global Leaders Summit is being held in Shanghai from October 20 to 22, under the theme "Building a Resilient Future Together: Global Governance, Innovation-Driven Growth and Industrial Upgrading." Former UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova attended the event and delivered a speech.
Irina Bokova pointed out that the current global sustainable development process is not encouraging and that accelerated action is urgently needed, with a people-centered, fair and inclusive development approach.
She also affirmed China's role: "In a world full of challenges, instability and unpredictability, China has become an important supporter and guardian of multilateralism, and in its national development strategy, it has placed the integration of sustainable development at the forefront. China is undoubtedly a leader in green industry, especially outstanding in manufacturing and the scaling of clean energy technologies. China's industrial capacity is helping make the global energy transition possible."
She then focused her attention on higher education, which stands at the crossroads of transformation. Under the impact of multiple factors such as AI, digitalization and demographic changes, the positioning of universities is being redefined. "Our core question is no longer whether higher education needs to change, but how higher education can embrace technological progress while maintaining humanistic care, intellectual pursuit and social mission."
Irina Bokova noted that technologies such as generative AI and robotics bring opportunities for personalized learning and scientific breakthroughs, but also risks such as academic integrity issues, algorithmic bias and students' over-reliance on technology. Universities should not only teach students to use tools, but also cultivate AI literacy and critical judgment, teaching students to discern the limitations and potential impacts of technology.
She cited International Labour Organization data to illustrate AI's impact on employment: "The International Labour Organization estimates that 83 million jobs will be displaced, and 44% of workers' skills will be affected, before 2030." At the same time, AI will also create new jobs, and the transitional pain of job replacement is unavoidable, making continuous skill upgrading and retraining crucial.
She observed that what AI finds difficult to replace are precisely the unique human traits such as judgment, empathy and collaboration, and accountability. In her view, future education should follow a holistic learning path, and beyond technical skills, creativity, communication and collaboration, and social-emotional skills are becoming increasingly important. "The future of education lies in empowering young learners to embrace and develop their unique qualities, those qualities that can never be replaced by technology."
"We must find an appropriate balance between humans and machines, between emotional intelligence and technology, and this balance should become a distinctive feature of future educational institutions." Irina Bokova concluded that artificial intelligence has enormous potential, but addressing risks and unlocking value cannot be separated from a humanistic orientation, and AI must be promoted in an ethical, fair, transparent and accountable direction.
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