NEF Brussels 2026

Building Europe’s Resilience
November 19, 2026 9:00 am
European Parliament, Brussels

 

Europe’s resilience begins with education — and with equipping young people to navigate technological, social and economic change with confidence.

 

The New Education Forum Brussels 2026 aims to:

 

  • Synthesise regional recommendations gathered throughout the series of New Education Forum meetings — Vigo (January 2024), Kraków (March 2024), Olsztyn (April 2024) and Valencia (November 2024) — into a coherent set of policy guidelines for building Europe’s resilience.
  • Bridge the gap between digital addiction and digital agency by exploring concrete ways in which education can help young people move from passive consumption of technology to active, confident and creative use of digital tools in their learning and future careers.
  • Promote inclusive talent development by examining how education systems can recognise individual talents, build psychological resilience and encourage more girls and young women to pursue STEM pathways — ensuring that no potential is left untapped in Europe’s green and digital transitions.
  • Identify the competencies of the future — from creativity and collaboration to learning agility and entrepreneurship — that will keep Europe innovative, competitive and resilient in the face of rapid technological, economic and social change.
  • Connect European policy with lived experience by bringing together Members of the European Parliament, representatives of the European Commission, employers, education experts and young people themselves — ensuring that European policy perspectives are enriched by the voices of those directly shaping and experiencing education.
  • Showcase local and regional initiatives that enrich the European educational environment and demonstrate how communities across the Union are responding to the two major challenges of our time: the green transition and the digital transformation.

 

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About

What is NEF? The New Education Forum (NEF), created in 2015 by the Center for Innovative Education, is a platform for exchanging knowledge, experiences, and contacts in the field of educational innovations. NEF operates throughout Europe, bringing together representatives from over 440 institutions from 21 EU member states: European regions and cities, higher education and research institutions, as well as employers from various industries. Defining the goals of each event:

  • Addressing the most pressing educational issues and challenges at the time and place.
  • Finding innovative educational development directions aimed at aligning with labor market requirements.
  • Promoting transversal competencies as essential resources for employees.
  • Contributing to the improvement of vocational education and its perception.
  • Building bridges between EU regions and cities and European institutions regarding the aforementioned issues.

Since the first Forum – co-organized by MEP Prof. Jerzy Buzek, the first NEF Ambassador – 37 regional and pan-European events have been held (including seven annual ones at the European Parliament), attracting over 4,660 participants. We have hosted many distinguished panelists such as in December 2023 Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, and Education Iliana Ivanova, and Markus Beyrer (Director General of BusinessEurope), and previously Tibor Navracsics, EU Commissioner for Education, who opened the first New Education Forum in Warsaw in 2015, Valdis Dombrovskis (EU Commissioner), Montserrat Gomendio (Deputy Director for Education and Skills at OECD), Dominika Bettman (CEO Microsoft Poland), representatives of industry associations such as CEEMET and KLEPA. So far, NEF has been held across Europe, including in Kraków, Athens, Linz, Gdańsk, Caserta, Edinburgh, Limerick, Santander, Warsaw, Brussels, Poznań, Comillas, Torino, Berlin, Olsztyn, Aberdeen, Opole, Bielsko-Biała, to build a broad coalition for adapting education to civilizational changes, conducting debates and creating valuable partnerships, analyzing local conditions, asking questions and seeking answers, and practical solutions addressing the needs of regional and European labor markets. For more information, we encourage you to visit: www.neweducationforum.com www.ciedu.eu

Schedule

 

New Education Forum – NEF Brussels 2026
“Building Europe’s Resilience”

 

Date: 19th of November 2026 (Thursday), 9:00 – 13:00 CET

Venue: European Parliament, Brussels, room ASP3E2 (to be confirmed)

Hosted by: Mirosława NYKIEL and Bogdan ZDROJEWSKI, Members of the European Parliament

Organised by: the Center for Innovative Education

 

 

9:00 — Opening speeches (5 minutes)

Official welcome of guests and introduction to the conference topics:

  • Bogdan ZDROJEWSKI, Member of the European Parliament, Member of the Committee on Culture and Education
  • Mirosława NYKIEL, Member of the European Parliament, Member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
  • Joanna BOCHNIARZ, President of the Center for Innovative Education

 

9:10 — Film / presentation, LOTTO Foundation (10 minutes)

 

9:20 — Panel 1: From Digital Addiction to Digital Agency (50 minutes)

The TokTuMi Report shows that excessive smartphone use, gaming and social media consumption increasingly affect young people’s concentration, relationships and wellbeing. This discussion will explore which competencies help children and adolescents remain autonomous, critical and emotionally resilient in a world designed to capture their attention.

Speakers will discuss how schools can strengthen self-regulation, critical thinking, attention management and social belonging, helping young people become responsible users of technology rather than passive consumers of digital content.

  • Ewa KOPACZ, Vice President of the European Parliament
  • Beata STELMACH, CEO of Totalizator Sportowy
  • Adrian DUSA, Head of Unit: Digital Education, STEM and AI Literacy, DG EAC, European Commission (tbc)
  • Rayan TEMARA, Policy Officer, Mental Health Europe

Moderated by Joanna BOCHNIARZ, CEO of the Center for Innovative Education

 

10:10 — Coffee break (20 minutes)

 

10:30 — Inspiration talk (10 minutes)

Ewa ŁABNO-FAL&Erzek;ĘCKA, President of The Foundation for the Development of Education for Industry — including a presentation of the book “Maria Skłodowska-Curie – Albert Einstein: The Letters /1911–1932/”

 

10:40 — Panel 2: From Talent to Resilience: How Education Unlocks Europe’s Potential (45 minutes)

Europe’s future depends on its ability to recognise, nurture and unlock the individual talents of every young person. This discussion will explore how innovative education, supported by artificial intelligence, personalised learning and experiential approaches, can help students identify their strengths, build resilience and gain the confidence to pursue ambitious educational and professional paths. Particular attention will be given to programmes encouraging girls and young women to choose STEM subjects and careers, helping Europe reduce persistent gender gaps and make better use of its untapped scientific and technological potential.

We will also examine how the Erasmus+ programme supports a stronger and more competitive Europe through international cooperation, intercultural learning, and talent development based on educational experiences that stimulate curiosity and encourage the courage to learn from failures.

  • Diana JABŁOŃSKA, Director for Erasmus+, Education and Skills, DG EAC, European Commission
  • Joanna SCHEURING-WIELGUS, Member of the European Parliament
  • François JOURDE, expert in digital education, in particular the impact and development of artificial intelligence in education; Support and Inclusive Education in the European Schools, Office of the Secretary General, European Schools
  • European Youth

Moderated by Jørgen MOLAND, Co-owner of Trygg av Natur and Takle – the Association for Public Health and Life Mastery

 

11:25 — Coffee break (20 minutes)

 

11:45 — 1:1 conversation with experts (20 minutes)

Henryka BOCHNIARZ, Founder of the Polish Employers’ Confederation Lewiatan, and Michał KOBOSKO, Member of the European Parliament, on how Europe’s growing skills shortages are changing employers’ expectations and what schools must do to prepare the future workforce.

 

12:05 — Panel 3: From Resilience to Innovation: Which Competencies Will Keep Europe Competitive? (45 minutes)

The European Union’s Union of Skills initiative highlights growing shortages in STEM professions, digital and green skills, entrepreneurship and innovation capacities, while European companies struggle to find employees who can adapt to technological change, work across disciplines and turn ideas into solutions. This discussion will explore which transversal competencies — such as creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, initiative, resilience and learning agility — are becoming essential for Europe’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy.

Speakers from industry, education and policy will discuss how schools can better prepare young people for the twin digital and green transitions and strengthen the talent base that European companies need to innovate and compete globally.

  • Dariusz JOŃSKI, Member of the European Parliament
  • Wojciech KONECKI, President, APPLiA Home Appliance Europe
  • Larisa PANAIT, Head of Skills and Jobs, Eurochambers
  • European Youth

Moderated by Jorge GIMENO-PAWŁOWSKI, Atland Consulting

 

12:50 — Closing speeches (10 minutes)

  • Nils ELOFSSON, Advisor on Social Affairs, BusinessEurope
  • Sandra PARTHIE, President of the Employers’ Group, European Economic and Social Committee
  • Joanna BOCHNIARZ, President of the Center for Innovative Education

 

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Centrum Innowacyjnej Edukacji

email: info@ciedu.eu