100% NEWS: GLOBAL EDUCATION FORUM 2026 will be held in Davos

GLOBAL EDUCATION FORUM 2026 will take place in Davos, Switzerland, as one of the key educational events within GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK 2026. It will bring together school owners, founders of educational networks, university leaders, EdTech innovators, investors, franchise developers, education entrepreneurs, teachers, methodologists and policymakers who understand one simple truth: the future of education cannot wait for instructions from ministries. It must be created now.

The world is changing faster than most formal education systems can reform. Artificial intelligence is transforming knowledge work. Children are growing up in a digital, global, entrepreneurial and unstable world. Parents are demanding better outcomes. Employers are looking for creativity, adaptability, leadership and problem-solving. At the same time, many schools are still built around industrial-age models: standardised lessons, slow curriculum reform, outdated assessment and limited exposure to entrepreneurship, technology and global thinking.

This is why forums such as GLOBAL EDUCATION FORUM 2026 matter. They create a meeting point for those who are not waiting passively for the future of education to be approved from above. They are already building it.

A Forum for Education Leaders Who Do Not Stand Still

GLOBAL EDUCATION FORUM 2026 is designed for leaders who are actively transforming education: those who open new schools, scale international educational brands, buy and develop franchises, introduce AI and EdTech tools, create new curricula, build entrepreneurial programmes for children, and expand their networks across countries.

These are the people who understand that education is no longer only a public service or a classroom process. It is also a global ecosystem of innovation, investment, methodology, technology, leadership and social responsibility.

The official Global Education Forum 2026 page describes the event as a platform for new ideas, proven academic programmes, advanced technologies and new ways of thinking. It also states that the forum brings together top schools, universities and colleges from around the world, while offering grants for education leaders, colleagues and students to participate. Source: education.forum-expo.org [1]

The central message is clear: education leaders must not only discuss the future — they must design it, test it, scale it and make it available to children in different countries.

The Global Education Challenge in Numbers

The scale of global education is enormous. UNICEF and ITU’s Giga initiative notes that no one knows the exact number of schools in the world, but gives an estimate of 6–7 million schools globally. Giga has already mapped more than 2.1 million schools in around 140 countries, demonstrating both the size of the sector and the data gap that still exists. Source: unicef.ch 2]

In terms of students, UNESCO reported that 1.4 billion students were enrolled in school in 2024 across primary and secondary education. This represents a major expansion compared with 2000, but the challenge is far from solved. Source: unesco.org [3]

At the same time, UNESCO states that 273 million children and youth were out of school in 2024. Of these, 79 million were of primary school age, 64 million were of lower secondary school age, and 130 million were of upper secondary school age. Source: unesco.org [4]

Private education also plays a major role. The World Bank’s education metadata notes that private schools educate approximately 350 million children globally. However, the number of private schools as institutions is harder to count because countries classify private, independent, faith-based, community, low-fee, international and non-state schools differently. Source: databank.worldbank.org [5]

A clear sub-sector of the private market is international schooling. ISC Research recorded 14,833 K–12 international schools in 2025, with Asia accounting for 58% of the global market. Source: ISC Research [6]

These numbers show both the opportunity and the urgency. The world has millions of schools, more than a billion students in formal education, hundreds of millions of children in private institutions, and hundreds of millions still excluded from school. The question is not whether education needs innovation. The question is how fast innovation can be brought to the children who need it most.

Why the United Nations Made Quality Education a Global Priority

The United Nations made education one of the central Sustainable Development Goals because education is not only a social service — it is a foundation for human progress. SDG 4 calls on the world to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” The UN explains that quality education and lifelong learning are central to a full and productive life and to sustainable development. It also warns that even when more children are enrolled, many do not acquire basic skills. Source: UNSD [7]

UNDP describes inclusive and quality education as one of the most powerful and proven vehicles for sustainable development. Education helps reduce inequality, supports gender equality, expands access to decent work, and gives people the skills needed to participate in society and the economy. Source: UNDP [8]

This is why quality matters as much as access. A child can sit in a classroom for years and still leave school without the ability to think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively or build a meaningful future. The next stage of global education is not only about building more schools. It is about building better learning systems.

Why Ministries Alone Cannot Move Fast Enough

Governments and ministries of education remain essential. They regulate systems, fund public schools, define national standards and protect access. But the pace of technological and social change is now so fast that ministries often cannot be the only source of educational transformation.

Real innovation frequently begins with entrepreneurs, private school networks, EdTech founders, experimental schools, alternative curricula, teachers, parents, universities and global partnerships. They can pilot faster, adapt faster and scale new models across borders faster.

This does not mean replacing public education. It means creating a wider ecosystem where public institutions, private schools, international networks, investors, technology providers and civil society learn from one another.

GLOBAL EDUCATION FORUM 2026 is important because it creates exactly this kind of environment: a space where educational leaders can exchange working models, discuss franchising and licensing, test new technologies, meet investors, develop partnerships and bring successful solutions to new countries.

Education Franchising and International Expansion

One of the most important themes of GLOBAL EDUCATION FORUM 2026 will be the international expansion of educational models.

Education franchising is becoming a powerful tool for scaling quality. When a strong school model, curriculum, methodology or children’s business education programme is properly structured, it can be replicated across cities and countries. This gives local entrepreneurs access to proven intellectual property, training systems, brand standards, teaching materials and operational support.

For founders of educational businesses, franchising can create global reach. For parents and children, it can bring access to international-quality programmes without waiting for national systems to reform. For investors, it creates a structured model in a sector with long-term demand.

The 2025 forum materials already emphasised the importance of discovering new licences and accreditations, building strategic partnerships, learning about educational franchising and forming international educational consortia. Source: progressbatumi.ge [9]

In 2026, Davos will deepen this conversation: how to build educational brands that are scalable, ethical, measurable and capable of changing children’s lives across borders.

Technology as a New Educational Infrastructure

Technology is no longer an optional accessory to education. It is becoming part of educational infrastructure. AI-driven learning platforms, adaptive assessment, immersive learning, virtual laboratories, online mentoring, digital portfolios, gamified entrepreneurship training, learning analytics and global classrooms are already changing how children learn. But technology alone is not the answer. It must be connected to pedagogy, teacher development, child psychology, ethics and real-world skills.

Giga’s work is especially relevant here. The initiative’s goal is to connect every school to the internet and every young person to information, opportunity and choice. It has mapped millions of schools and supports governments with data, financing models and procurement tools for school connectivity. Source: giga.global [10]

GLOBAL EDUCATION FORUM 2026 will be a place where such issues move from theory to implementation: what technology should schools adopt, how should it be financed, how can teachers be trained, how can data be used responsibly, and how can innovation reduce inequality instead of increasing it?

How Global Education Forums Create Real Progress

International education forums matter because progress in education depends on relationships. A school founder in Europe may have a methodology that could help children in Asia. An EdTech company in the Middle East may have a platform needed by schools in Africa. A university in the United States may seek international partners. A school network in Eastern Europe may want to franchise in the Gulf. A private investor may be looking for credible education projects. A ministry representative may be searching for working models.

Without a forum, these educators may never meet. GLOBAL EDUCATION FORUM creates the conditions for:

strategic partnerships between schools and education companies;
international franchising and licensing agreements;
investment into educational projects;
technology adoption by schools and universities;
media visibility for innovative education leaders;
formation of international educational consortia;
cross-border student and teacher programmes;
exchange of best practices between countries;
new opportunities for children and families.

This is why the value of the forum is not only in speeches. Its real power is in the contacts, negotiations and partnerships that continue after the event.

What Happened at GLOBAL EDUCATION FORUM 2025 in the Maldives

In 2025, GLOBAL EDUCATION FORUM was held in the Maldives as part of GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK. The 2025 programme described EdTech 2025 as a major event focused on the latest innovations in education technology and the future of learning. It included keynote speeches from global EdTech innovators and leaders, workshops on curriculum innovation and accreditation, networking with educators, technology providers and policymakers, and live demonstrations of next-generation learning technologies. Source: gbw.forum-expo.org [11]

Public materials from School Progress in Georgia announced participation as a keynote speaker at GLOBAL EDUCATION FORUM 2025 and highlighted several major reasons for attending: connecting with entrepreneurs from more than 35 countries, sharing educational innovations, exploring new technologies, discovering licences and accreditations, building strategic partnerships, learning about educational franchising and forming international educational consortia. Source: progressbatumi.ge [9]

Media coverage of the Maldives edition reported that school owners and directors engaged with innovators, found concrete solutions for their institutions and initiated international collaboration agreements. It also reported that more than 150 educators and school leaders benefited from grants covering up to 50% of participation costs, and that speakers and exhibitors showcased their work to an international audience. Source: 100news.tv [12]

In 2026, GLOBAL EDUCATION FORUM moves to Davos, Switzerland, one of the world’s most symbolic locations for global dialogue and strategic thinking. Public announcements list the forum dates as July 9–12, 2026. The 2026 forum will gather education leaders who are ready to act now. The expected themes include:

AI and digital transformation in education;
new school models and future-ready curricula;
educational franchising and international expansion;
investment in EdTech and school networks;
accreditation, licensing and quality standards;
entrepreneurship education for children and teenagers;
teacher recruitment and retention;
global partnerships between schools, universities and education companies;
private education as a driver of innovation;
how to improve education quality without waiting for slow systemic reform.

Davos is the right place for this conversation because education is no longer a local issue. It is part of global competitiveness, family strategy, national development and human progress.

The New Role of Education Entrepreneurs

Education entrepreneurs are becoming some of the most important leaders of the 21st century. They create schools, academies, online platforms, learning ecosystems, camps, competitions, assessment tools, teacher training models and youth entrepreneurship programmes.

They are not waiting for permission to improve education. They see a problem, create a model, test it with children, improve it, scale it and share it internationally.

This does not mean that every private initiative is automatically good. Quality, ethics, accessibility and evidence matter. But it does mean that education innovation cannot be left only to bureaucracy. The world needs responsible education entrepreneurs who can combine mission and management, pedagogy and technology, child development and international standards.

Education Must Be Built by Those Who Believe in the Future

The world has millions of schools, 1.4 billion students in primary and secondary education, around 350 million children in private schools and 273 million children and youth still out of school. The challenge is too large for slow reform alone. It requires public responsibility, private innovation, international cooperation, technology, investment and courage.

GLOBAL EDUCATION FORUM 2026 in Davos will bring together people who understand that the quality of education determines the quality of the future.

They are school founders, innovators, investors, teachers, franchise developers, EdTech leaders and global education entrepreneurs. They are not waiting for education systems to change by themselves. They are building new models now — for children, for families, for countries and for the world.

GLOBAL EDUCATION FORUM 2026 is not only a forum about education. It is a platform for those who are ready to create the next generation of education — and to make it global.

[1]: https://education.forum-expo.org/ "GEF 2026. The Global Education, Innovation, and Startuping Forum & Expo"

[2]: https://www.unicef.ch/en/giga?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Giga – connect every school to the internet"

[3]: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/more-children-out-school-7th-year-row-273-million?utm_source=chatgpt.com "children out of school for the 7th year in a row, up to 273"

[4]: https://www.unesco.org/en/education/view/outofschool?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Out-of-school rate"

[5]: https://databank.worldbank.org/metadataglossary/world-development-indicators/series/SE.SEC.PRIV.ZS?utm_source=chatgpt.com "School enrolment, secondary, private ... - Glossary | DataBank"

[6]: https://iscresearch.com/the-international-schools-market-in-2025/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "The International Schools Market in 2025"

[7]: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2017/goal-04/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and ..."

[8]: https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals/quality-education?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Goal 4: Quality education"

[9]: https://progressbatumi.ge/en/content/859/336/Hello--I-will-be-a-Keynote-Speaker-at-the-GLOBAL-EDUCATION-FORUM-in-the-frame-of-the-GLOBAL-BUSINESS-WEEK-2025. "Hello! I will be a Keynote Speaker at the GLOBAL EDUCATION FORUM in the frame of the GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK 2025."

[10]: https://giga.global/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Giga | Connect every school | UNICEF - ITU"

[11]: https://gbw.forum-expo.org/wesioorg_pnmf/ "Global Business Week 2025"

[12]: https://www.100news.tv/2025/02/global-edtech-conference-2025-issues.html "100% NEWS: Global Education Forum 2025 in the Maldives"