Innovations in Education: Ministry of Digital Transformation team joins the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen

On September 11, the 5th Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, initiated by Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, took place in Kyiv. This year’s event was themed Education Shaping the World. The Ministry of Digital Transformation team contributed to the organization of the Summit and hosted the panel discussion titled “Innovations in Education: From Crisis to Transformation.”

“Education is a topic that resonates with everyone. We have all witnessed this. During the Summit, we firmly agreed that quality modern education encompasses not only academic knowledge and skills but also emotional intelligence, humanism, and an open worldview,” emphasized Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska.

Today, technology plays a pivotal role in the education field—artificial intelligence, interactive tools, and virtual reality make learning personalized, accessible, practical, and adaptive. Thanks to innovations, education’s mission is not only to impart knowledge but also to teache how to apply it in real life, shaping professionals capable of changing the world.

On the Summit’s main stage, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov presented a vision for educational technologies and future challenges. In particular, he highlighted Mriia, a project that helps children learn through individualized educational pathways, discover their strengths, and prepare for the future.

“The future of education is unimaginable without technology. EdTech paves the way for personalized learning, helping children develop their strengths to become who they aspire to be. At the Ministry of Digital Transformation, we see innovation as a key tool for transforming education, ensuring that children in Ukraine acquire not just knowledge but skills and experiences that prepare them to change the world,” stated Mykhailo Fedorov.

The panel discussion focused on the following key topics:

- Can a crisis serve as a turning point for resetting education?

- How can we create the school of the future today?

- How do we teach children to thrive in a world that does not yet exist?

- What is the role of technology in the new education system?

We brought together representatives from the global EdTech ecosystem, from the public sector to leading technology companies. The panel was moderated by Zoya Lytvyn, founder of Osvitoria and Head of Global Government Technology Centre (GGTC) Kyiv.

The discussion highlighted the best policies and practices of countries that have become global leaders in implementing innovations, including Estonia, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. Esther Wojcicki, an American journalist, educator, and author known worldwide as the “Godmother of Silicon Valley,” participated in the panel with a keynote speech. Additionally, as part of the event, a pitch session showcased EdTech solutions from Ukrainian companies, including GIOS, RobocodeXR, EdMaps, and EdEra.

The panel discussion titled “Partnerships for the Future: AI and Innovations in Education” was moderated by Annette Kroeber-Riel, Google Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy for Europe.

Among the participants in the discussion:

- Christina Egelund, Minister of Higher Education and Science of Denmark;

- Scott McDonald, Chief Executive of the British Council; 

- Viktor Liakh, President of the East Europe Foundation; 

- Simon Schmid, Partner at SkillLab and Director of the Just Skills Hub; 

- Sergii Martynchuk, General Manager at Cisco Ukraine; 

- Paul Nurse, British biologist, Nobel Prize laureate, and former President of Rockefeller University; 

- Paul Gurney, Chief Executive Officer of Becoming X.

“Our session exemplified how international partners and leaders in education and technology collaboratively shape a vision for a future where everyone has access to modern tools for development and realizing their potential. Most importantly, during our session, we unveiled new large-scale partnerships and initiatives that will usher in the next stage of EdTech development in Ukraine,” stated Valeriya Ionan, Advisor to the First Deputy Prime Minister on Innovation, Digital and Global Partnerships.

The future of education is being shaped now, and it depends on our collective readiness to act. Innovations in education are a necessity.

Background Information 

Since its launch, the Summit has raised USD 6.2 million to provide 92 ambulances and facilitated over 60 medical partnerships between Ukrainian and international clinics. 

The Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, initiated by Olena Zelenska in 2021, is an annual international event. The Summit’s global platform is a community that unites first ladies and gentlemen who aim to leverage their soft power influence to address humanitarian challenges on a global scale.