European EdTech Alliance Update October 24
Education Content, AI regulation, and future-proofing safeguard mechanisms.
For the EEA, October started and ended with participation in meetings of the Stakeholder Group of the European Commission, which is tasked with developing a system of evaluation for Digital Education Content. Discussions in this group have focussed strongly on the needs of educators and education decision-makers as they navigate choosing and implementing digital education content. Understanding the impact that AI is having and will have on the creation and development of digital education content has also driven this month’s conversations. The goal of this group is to systematically assess the quality, safety, trustworthiness, reliability, utility and inclusiveness of such content, and we are proud to bring our insights from the EdTech Strategy Lab project to this important work.
Continuing the theme of safety and trustworthiness, the EEA supported the facilitation of the Council of Europe’s Second Working Conference on Regulating AI Systems in Education (read below for more information). This dynamic two days of this conference highlighted the need for innovation and autonomy, whilst also taking seriously the risks associated with AI technologies, including cognitive risks, data protection and consent issues, the maliciousness of deepfakes, and the role that AI is already playing in youth democratic participation.
Through a series of dystopian and sobering scenarios, the EEA also participated in a workshop led by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission as part of the DLIFE (Digital Legislation Implications For Education) project, which explored not only what the future of education could look like, but also what affect this might have on the sustainability of current policies and safeguarding mechanisms like, for example, the AI Act, Cybersecurity Act or Digital Services Act.
Read on below to find out more about:
our EdTech Strategy Lab event at UNESCO in Paris
the launch of the EmpowerED community platform
the Council of Europe working conference on AI Regulation
and news from EEA Members & other opportunities throughout Europe
- Beth Havinga
Managing Director, European Edtech Alliance
EdTech Strategy Lab
Join the EdTech Strategy Lab and the Digital Transformation Collaborative at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on December 4, 2024, to understand key findings from the past year of active research and stakeholder engagement.
💡 This is your chance to hear all the insights we’ve gathered over the year on building trust, understanding and evidence-informed decision-making in EdTech.
Come together with over 100 participants for this one-day session where we look into evidence-informed evaluation of EdTech and its integration into the actions of all stakeholders, from development to policy implementation and classroom practice. Register your interest here!
Last chance to contribute to our Insights Survey!
The EdTech Strategy Lab wants to hear from all of you across the EdTech landscape to help us build stronger partnerships and a more trustworthy EdTech ecosystem. The survey only takes 5-10 minutes, and your feedback will directly influence our research and initiatives.
Don’t miss your chance to make a meaningful impact, and share your insights here!
EmpowerED
The new EmpowerED website has launched, and it’s all about community!
Whether you represent an EdTech organisation or alliance, a school, or a decision-making body, you are now able to register in our portal for the following benefits:
👉 Find other members of the community and start a conversation based on shared needs and objectives.
👉 Access curated resources - including articles, datasets, and good examples of EdTech implementation in our resource repository.
👉 Contribute to the EmpowerED blog and our other channels to share your testimonies and showcase your expertise.
Join us here!
EEA Events
Working Conference on Regulating the use of AI systems in Education
On October 24th and 25th, over a hundred experts and actors in AI and Education from 45 countries 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. The objective 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. You can read more about the event here!
A special acknowledgement to the European Edtech Alliance’s Michelle DuQuette and Antonia Clary in masterfully facilitating these new formats for engagement and organising an agenda of many speakers and interactive working sessions, as well as 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.
Google Leaders’ Summit
Our first Chair Jannie Jeppesen was a keynote speaker at Google’s Leaders’ Summit talking about how “Digital Education is the new electricity”. She used Sweden as an example and explored the importance of focusing on digital skills and training for teachers.
We highly recommend you watch her talk here!
News & Opportunities
bitmark Hackathon 2024: Together For Interoperability
The 2024 Hackathon, of our Member bitmark Association, taking place from November 21-22 at the Amazon Web Services (AWS) facilities in Zurich and online, wants to design and develop interoperable solutions based on the open standard «bitmark».
It is a free event, and participants in the bitmark Hackathon will have the unique opportunity to collaborate directly with leading publishers and EdTech companies. They will be challenged to form spontaneous teams to develop innovative prototypes and concepts that have the potential to sustainably improve the way learning and other publishing content is understood and used worldwide.
Find more information on registration and participation here!
Edtech Finland integrates with the Finnish Startup Community
Our member Edtech Finland, along with its approximately 60 member companies, has joined the Finnish startup community, a community of 241 Finnish growth companies and startups. This integration strengthens collaboration among various players in Finland’s startup ecosystem and opens new opportunities for the growth and development of Finnish educational technology. You can read more about the news here.
EdTech Ukraine Launch
A big congratulations to everyone involved in the setup and launch of EdTech Ukraine this month. We are incredibly excited to be a part of your journey right from the start and help you support the talented Ukrainian Edtech ecosystem.
Our chair Jennie Jeppesen was in Kyiv for the launch event and we have no doubt that we will be hearing a lot from Edtech Ukraine in the future! We look forward to connecting Ukrainian Edtech players with the rest of Europe.
EdTech Ukraine Association’s mission is to build a strong EdTech ecosystem that fosters innovation and supports the growth of educational technology both locally and internationally. They aim to position Ukraine as a key player in the global digital education landscape by promoting partnerships, driving digital transformation, and contributing to the development of modern educational tools. Here you can check out all photos and the recording.
Female EdTech Fellowship - Celebrating Alumni Success
We are thrilled to announce that the companies from three of our former Female EdTech Fellows have been selected from over 600 companies to participate in the prestigious Google Startups AI Growth Academy! 🚀 Congratulations to Aleksandra Kozera, founder of Blisko (FEF2), Amanda Maiwald, co-founder of Complori (FEF3), and Catherine de Vulpillières, co-founder of EvidenceB (FEF2). Find out more about the academy here!
A World-class Agenda at Bett UK 2025
Join us as we attend Bett UK on 22-24th January 2025, in London! The just-launched agenda is packed with inspiring sessions, from digital learning strategies to hands-on workshops. Top speakers include AI leaders like Dan Fitzpatrick, creative minds like Michael Rosen, and education champions like Lord Jim Knight. And, student-focused sessions bring new voices to the stage, making this event a must for anyone passionate about education innovation. Dive into the agenda and register to secure your place.
Master’s programme on ICT for Development and Social Good
The University of Turin has opened the enrollment for the 2024-2025 academic year of its Master’s programme on ICT for Development and Social Good. It is coordinated by Ron Salaj, one of the AI and Education experts at the Council of Europe.
This programme offers a transdisciplinary curriculum covering essential topics such as data for social good, geospatial mapping, OSINT, AI, blockchain, and many more. You can find further details, including application deadlines and course structure here.
Postdoctoral Opportunity in AI and Education Research
The University of Tartu, Estonia, has recently opened a fully funded Postdoctoral position dedicated to researching AI and education. This two-year position is set to begin as soon as possible, offering a valuable chance for academic growth and impactful research in this emerging domain. Find more details on the position and application instructions here.
Save the Date!
8th-10th November: Learning More Festival in Modena, Italy - More Information
8th-17th November: DigiEduHack - Become a host
21st-22nd November: bitmark Hackathon in Zurich, Switzerland & Remote - Registration
4th December: EdTech Strategy Lab at UNESCO in Paris - Register interest
22nd-24th January: Bett UK, in London - Get your Ticket
Funding and M&A News
Reykjavik-based Moombix raised 2.3m € to scale its online music learning platform.
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This newsletter is written and produced by the European Edtech Alliance. The European Edtech Alliance is a consortium of national trade associations and clusters working with founders and education technology providers (EdTech) to support these businesses' domestic and international growth and the innovations they represent. European EdTech News is a reader-supported publication.