Over 20 countries have committed to setting up a workgroup for creative professions, using artificial intelligence (AI) in education and establishing engineering schools.
The workgroup aims to tackle international cooperation and exchange of national experiences in the three areas. The interaction seeks to give the participating nations opportunities to get quality and accessible education and improve learning outcomes.
The document was signed by Russia's Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov, as well as heads of delegations from 20 countries, including Venezuela, Niger, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Laos, the Gambia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Any interested countries will also be able to join the declaration within a few months.
According to the declaration, the creation of the workgroup is linked to the fact that creative industries currently represent one of the most dynamic sectors of the world economy and international trade. When it comes to AI, they have a significant impact on various aspects of life, including the growing pace of introducing information and communication technologies, as well as AI-based systems.
Kravtsov noted that the areas of further cooperation might include progress in science education, teaching the Russian language, and organizing pupil and student exchanges. He added that it was important to discuss issues related to secondary professional education.
The established group will become a platform for the exchange of proposals on the matter and will contribute to further cooperation.
“Indeed, we need to exchange experience. I believe that education is the area where all countries should cooperate, make friends, and make our world even better and safer together. It is important that all countries hear each other. We shape the future of equal nations, equal opportunities for our children. And it is up to all of us how this future world will turn out,” the minister said.
Russia’s Deputy Minister of Education Denis Gribov noted that today, the Russian system of secondary professional education is training personnel for creative industries in 79 different professions and specialties. It is expected that consistent federal support for creative industries will increase their share in the Russian economy from the current 2.2% to 6% by 2030, as well as increase the share of citizens employed in creative professions from 4.6% to 15%.
The official shared that the priority task in Russia’s education system is to create opportunities for adapting the younger generation to the digital economy.
This is where the All-Russian Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence comes in handy. It implements educational and methodical efforts aimed at studying the basics of AI systems. Besides, programs to study the use of these technologies through secondary professional education are in development.
Gribov noted that there are two options for cooperation in engineering education for Russia’s foreign colleagues. The first concerns developing engineering education using the mechanism of continuous learning and interaction, described as “school - college/university – business”. The second is to create classes with in-depth study of individual subjects.
The declaration takes into account key provisions of the UNESCO Framework for Culture and Arts Education adopted in 2024 by the World Conference on Culture and Arts Education held in Abu Dhabi.
The document was also based on the “Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence”, approved at the UNESCO General Conference during the 41st session in 2021.