Opening symposium 2023-2024
The human species has two exceptional skills: the ability to learn new knowledge throughout life; and the complementary ability to teach it to others. Education is the prerequisite for the production of new knowledge to meet today's pressing challenges, the primary lever for the emancipation of individuals in democratic societies, and an indispensable resource for the cohesion of societies. Throughout its history, humanity has managed to transform itself by equipping itself with effective education systems - but tomorrow? Declining school results, social inequalities in education, and the advent of machines capable of learning are all challenges facing us, whether we are teachers, parents or students. The opening symposium will attempt to provide some answers by examining what educational practices have been adopted throughout history and in various parts of the world; what mechanisms underpin our capacity to learn; and how best to deploy them in our schools and universities, at the service of society as a whole.
Scientific Committee
Stanislas Dehaene, François Héran and Pierre-Michel Menger.
Session plan
- The invention of education, session led by François Héran (morning 19)
- The mechanisms of learning, session led by Stanislas Dehaene (afternoon 19)
- The challenges of education, session led by Pierre-Michel Menger (morning, 20th)
- What will tomorrow's school look like? session moderated by Stanislas Dehaene (afternoon 20)
Each 30-minute presentation will be followed by a 10-minute discussion.