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- Ελληνικά
A conference on "Digital Skills in the modern era" took place on Friday, November 10, 2023, at the Filoxenia Conference Centre, organised by the Office for European and International Affairs, Lifelong Learning and Adult Education of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth (MESY), in the framework of the European Agenda for Adult Education 2022-2023. The conference is part of the Ministry's activities for the European Year of Skills 2023. The aim of the conference was to further highlight the importance of acquiring and upgrading the digital skills of individuals from school age and throughout their lives.
The event started with a welcome address by the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth, Dr Athina Michailidou, addressed by the Director General of the Ministry of Education, Dr Marina Ioannou Hasapi. In her address, the Minister stressed the need to acquire or upgrade digital skills in order for students and professionals to be able to improve their quality of life as well as Cypriot society as a whole. He stated that 't is our duty to ensure that no one is excluded from the digital transformation'. This, she said, becomes a priority for the Ministry, "through holistic educational policies and continuous upgrading of the objectives, the content of the curricula and the modernisation of the learning process, based on national priorities and major European initiatives, in order to create a fair and inclusive society for all."
The Minister outlined the programmes and policies implemented by the Ministry with a view to ensuring that the potential of the digital era is harnessed by all stakeholders. For teachers to manage digital tools, develop digital content and strengthen digital security. For employees to remain economically competitive and fully equipped with the skills needed by the society of the future. Finally, for citizens of all ages, it is essential to prevent any form of marginalisation and reduce inequalities.
This was followed by the keynote speech on "Empowering Tomorrow: Navigating the Digital Frontier - Society's Urgent Need for Tomorrow's Citizens and Professionals" by the keynote speaker, Professor of Information Science at University College of Dublin, Eleni Mangina. In her presentation she referred to the potential of digital skills in all aspects of an individual's life, in professional life, in education, in business and the wider labour market, in the environment, in culture and in the well-being of citizens. He stressed the revolution brought about by artificial intelligence, in terms of its potential and limitations, as well as the ethical commitment of citizens participating online. In conclusion, he said that acquiring digital skills is a lifelong journey and that "together, as strong citizens and professionals, we can navigate the digital frontier and build a future where technology serves humanity and empowers us all".Finally, it is noted that the President of the Synod of Rectors, Professor Panagiotis Zafiris, presented as a good practice the Youth Makerspace Larnaka, which is based on the models of makerspaces, and offers the physical space and technological equipment to young people so that they can meet, explore, create, invent, share, with the ultimate goal of mastering new knowledge and developing new skills.
The conference continued with panel discussions with the participation of the Directors of Education of the Ministry of Education, the Presidents of the Educational Organisations OELMEK, PDOED and OLTEK, the heads of the guilds SEK, PEO, DEOK, the President of the Assembly of Rectors, representatives of the State Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, AnAD, KEPA, OEB and Non-Governmental Organizations. During the discussion of the 1st panel on "Preparing the Active Digital Citizen", the speakers agreed, among other things, on the necessity of modernizing the curricula in order to integrate digital skills in all subjects, from pre-school to secondary education.
In the second panel, the discussion on the digital skills of tomorrow's professionals focused on the importance of continuous and targeted teacher training and the strengthening of existing infrastructures. It also focused on the importance of analysing the needs of professionals in terms of their digital skills and their integration into lifelong learning systems, developing more visible national strategies for the professional of the future and linking work needs to the education system.
The 3rd panel, whose theme was digital skills of students and employees, focused mainly on the policies implemented by the Ministries and other organisations of the Republic of Cyprus, which enhance the digital skills of human resources of all ages. Reference was also made to the work of the Directorate of Higher Education concerning a national Higher Education Graduates Monitoring Mechanism in relation to the needs of the labour market in terms of skills and qualifications.
The discussion of the 4th panel on "European Programmes promoting digital skills of adults", the speakers referred to policies and programmes implemented by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Youth and organisations aiming to enhance digital skills of the adult population of the Republic of Cyprus, funded by European resources, including the European Agenda for Adult Education.
The presentations of the keynote speakers as well as other relevant documents are available on the website of the European Agenda for Adult Education: https:/www.moec.gov.cy/aethee/perigrafi.html.
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