10 Trends Every School Director Must Know

What Education Will Look Like in 3, 5, 10 and 20 Years

Future of Education Special Report | 2026

Education is entering one of the most significant periods of structural change since the creation of mass schooling.

Artificial intelligence is moving into everyday teaching. Employers are redesigning jobs faster than many schools are redesigning curricula. Universities are becoming lifelong education platforms. Credentials are becoming smaller and stackable, while neuroscience, robotics and personalised learning are changing how we understand education itself.

The scale of transformation is already visible. The World Economic Forum estimates that 39% of workers’ core skills will change by 2030, while labour-market transformation could create around 170 million jobs and displace 92 million, producing a net increase of 78 million roles.

For school directors, therefore, the strategic question is no longer: “How can we improve the school we already have?” It is: “What kind of educational organisation will still be relevant in 2030, 2040 and beyond?” Here are the ten trends every education leader should understand.

1. AI WILL BECOME THE OPERATING SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

AI will move far beyond being another classroom technology.

It will increasingly support: Teaching | Assessment | Admissions | Student Support | Curriculum Development | Career Guidance | Administration | Parent Communication | Data Analysis

Investing in Education Is Becoming One of the Smartest Investment Strategies of the 21st Century

How Educational Franchises Are Transforming the Global Knowledge Economy

For generations, investors have focused on real estate, manufacturing, finance and technology. Today, however, one of the world's fastest-growing investment opportunities lies in a sector that shapes every economy: education.

The global education industry is undergoing a profound transformation. Advances in artificial intelligence, digital learning, entrepreneurship education and lifelong learning are creating unprecedented demand for innovative educational services. Education is no longer viewed solely as a public service—it has become one of the world's largest and most resilient investment sectors.

China’s Energy Dependence 2026: Top 10 Oil & Gas Suppliers and Strait of Hormuz

China remains the world’s largest importer of oil and one of the largest importers of natural gas. Its energy vulnerability is shaped not only by the volume of imports, but also by the geography of supply: a significant share of oil and part of LNG shipments pass through Middle Eastern maritime routes, including the Strait of Hormuz. Therefore, any escalation in the Strait of Hormuz directly affects China’s energy security, logistics, prices, refinery margins and Beijing’s foreign-policy negotiations.

In 2024, China imported around 11.1 million barrels of crude oil per day, covering approximately 74% of the country’s apparent oil consumption. The five largest suppliers — Russia, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Iraq and Oman — accounted for roughly two thirds of China’s oil imports.

Secret of German Economy: family-owned companies account for about 90% of GDP

The Core of Germany's Economy

Germany is often described through the language of engineering, exports, and industrial discipline. But beneath those familiar labels lies something even more distinctive: a deeply rooted culture of family business. In Germany, family firms are not a niche or a romantic leftover from an earlier era. They are the core of the economy.

Depending on the definition used, family-owned or family-controlled companies account for roughly 86–90 percent of all German businesses. They employ about 54 percent of the national workforce, and under a broader “family-controlled” definition they account for around 58 percent of jobs subject to social-security contributions. In revenue terms, they generate about 43–46 percent of total business turnover.

How the World Economy Could Look in 2050: Asia Takes the Lead

By 2050, the economic map of the world may look very different from what we know today.

According to long-term projections by Goldman Sachs, the centre of gravity of global GDP is expected to shift decisively away from today’s developed markets and towards emerging Asia.

The Big Picture: Who Owns Global GDP in 2050?

In 2050 (in constant 2021 USD), global GDP is projected to total about $227.9 trillion. Here’s how that pie is expected to be divided:

• Asia (excluding developed markets): $90.6 trillion – 40%
• Developed Markets (DM): $82.9 trillion – 36%
• Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (CEEMEA): $38.3 trillion – 17%
• Latin America: $16.0 trillion – 7%

The headline shift is clear:

Emerging Asia is projected to become the largest regional contributor to world GDP, with 40% of the total, edging ahead of traditional Developed Markets at 36%.

To see how dramatic this is, compare it with the year 2000. At that time, developed economies (North America, Western Europe, Japan, etc.) accounted for more than 77% of global GDP. By 2050, their share is expected to fall to just over a third.

Asia’s Rise: Beyond the “China Story”

When people think about Asia’s economic success, they often focus on China – and for good reason. But the 2050 picture is not just about China.

Global Education Forum 2026 held in Davos

Davos, Switzerland, July 9–12, 2026

The world of education is undergoing rapid transformation — and the Global Education Forum 2026 has united leaders, innovators, and practitioners to address this change at one of the most important international platforms. After successful editions in London, Glasgow, Istanbul, and the Maldives, the forum returns to Davos to focus on the challenges and opportunities shaping education in the digital age.

The Global Education Forum 2026, held in Davos on 10 July as part of Global Business Week 2026, brought together representatives of primary, secondary and higher education, supplementary and extracurricular education, educational franchises, technology companies, curriculum developers, researchers, entrepreneurs and education innovators from more than 40 countries.