Salzburg Global Fellow Lilitha Buti reflects on what she learned from three Fellows at the "Future of Teaching" education session
There is something wildly profound that happens when meeting new people from different places around the world: the realization that our humanity is shared. There's this inexplicable feeling, almost like an invisible thread that weaves us together. We are part of the same tapestry, interconnected in our being.
Meeting someone from a world different to yours opens you to new ways of seeing, being, and relating. It becomes a lens through which to understand yourself better through the experiences of others. The intangible gifts of the human connection, the thought seeds planted, and the stories shared is what truly enriched my experience in a Salzburg Global session.
"The Future of Teaching" session gathered 55 people at Schloss Leopoldskron from December 8 to 13, 2024. The room was filled with teachers, professionals working in education, and thought leaders passionate about the current realities and futures of teaching and re-imagining education.
Mumbe Mwangangi, founder of Nyansapo AI in Kenya, summarized her experience of the session into one word: "Exciting!" What stood out for her was the opportunity to connect with people she has known about for years but never met before, as well as meeting new people who brought an aura of love and joy. She embodied the session's core values of "questioning" and "eliciting" during her time in Salzburg. She observed that many things within education, such as the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching, are western-centric and do not apply to other geographic contexts. She asked; “If many people in my current reality do not have access to electricity or even phones, is AI actually the future of education?”
From Mumbe, I learnt the importance of being grounded in your work whilst having the flexibility to question what you do. If she could teach the world one thing, it would be her passion for African history.
Charles King, founder and CEO of The Educator Academy in the U.S., appreciated the opportunity to meet so many amazing people and gain new perspectives to inform his work. He realized that we need to rethink how we have been approaching education. Particularly, there is a lack of creativity and disconnect between what parents and communities value in education versus policy makers. Through the session, he realized that changing educational systems is going to take time due to the complexity and the voices that need to be considered. However, he feels energized to make meaningful change from his place in the world.
From Charles, I learnt to embrace the value of openness when experiencing something new. To be open to new ideas, perspectives, and people. If he could teach the world one thing, he would love to teach a class on exploring various types of coffee from around the world.
Vanessa Villavicencio Mego, the national coordinator of the Que Maestro program in Peru, was particularly excited to learn about other global experiences in education and to understand their challenges, realities, and reflections. She enjoyed listening and co-creating with her group "Voice and Policy," which was mostly made up of representatives from the Global South. From her group, she learnt about others' challenges and pain points, as well as a deep conviction and hope that emerged through the power of networks and spaces to learn about each other's experiences as teachers in policy transformation. The session also allowed her to see the challenges and gaps that exist in both the Global South and North. The values she embodied during her time in Salzburg was an openness of mind and heart.
From Vanessa, I learnt that even when language is a barrier, we can connect with each other by being present, making an effort to show up, and having empathy. If she could teach the world one thing, she would teach that despite the inequities that exist in the world, there is always hope. She reminds us that “there are many people and communities transforming their realities through education and collective action."
So what is the future of teaching? A big, big question… Where does one begin to find the answers? By listening. Listening to the different voices in the room. Each voice holds a story from which we can learn something. There is so much more to learn when we have a diversity of people sharing their stories, particularly in how we imagine the future of teaching. I am grateful for Mumbe, Vanessa, and Charles for sharing their reflections with me, and for being sources for inspiration.
What particularly inspires me is that even though several months have passed since we all met in Salzburg, the connections continue to grow and the thoughts are deeply sowed. We are woven into each other's lives, seeing each other's growth, sharing each other's work, supporting each other, and continuing in working groups. The relationships flourish, and we remain interconnected, a reminder of our humanity shared. This strengthens and encourages us to show up in our work from our place in the world, knowing we’re not doing this work alone.
"The Future of Teaching" session was held from December 8 to 13, 2024. It is part of the Education for Tomorrow's World program in the Salzburg Global Center for Education Transformation.
Lilitha Buti is a Salzburg Global Fellow, and between March 2024 and March 2025 was part of YouthxYouth's Weavership program working with Salzburg Global's education team.
