At the joint IAFOR Paris Conferences on Education (PCE2025) and Arts & Humanities (PCAH2025), held at Sorbonne University this past June, Stefania Giannini, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education, delivered a Special Address underscoring the role of education as the foundation of peace, sustainable development, and global citizenship. Her participation reflects the deepening collaboration between UNESCO and IAFOR, and builds on the legacy of the late Federico Mayor Zaragoza, UNESCO’s former Director-General, who addressed PCE/PCAH2024 in Paris.
Dr Giannini’s wide-ranging remarks resonated strongly with IAFOR’s core mission of fostering international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary dialogue. She described higher education as a unique space for free inquiry, critical thought, and innovation, one that is grounded in four enduring principles: interdisciplinarity, internationalism, independence, and innovation. In her address, Dr Giannini proposed a fifth principle, imagination, as central to addressing the challenges of a rapidly changing world, particularly in the face of generative AI and new digital technologies.
Stressing the urgency of tackling global inequalities in education, Dr Giannini called for universities and international forums alike to act as bridges across cultures and nations. Today, 251 million children are not enrolled in school, and only 7% of refugees are able to access higher education. She argued that higher education institutions must foster cooperation rather than competition in order to better prepare students and researchers to address the complexities of the 21st century. In this regard, she highlighted UNESCO’s efforts to promote academic mobility, support open science, and safeguard academic freedom through international standards and conventions.
Ambassador Stefania Giannini (left) with IAFOR Chairman & CEO Dr Joseph Haldane (right)
Ambassador Paolo Sabbatini (left) with Ambassador Giannini (right)
Turning to technology, Dr Giannini spoke of both risks and opportunities, affirming that ‘technology can be a game changer, but only if it is driven by human-centred values’. She stressed that inclusion, equity, quality, and accessibility must remain at the heart of digital transformation, guided by solidarity and co-creation between governments, the private sector, and civil society.
Dr Giannini concluded by affirming UNESCO’s enduring commitment to education as a form of ‘soft power’ that offers an alternative to conflict: ‘The best way to reach stability, peace and security is investing in a new dimension of global citizenship’.
Her address highlighted the importance of international, intercultural, and interdisciplinary academic forums such as The Paris Conference on Education (PCE) and The Paris Conference on Arts & Humanities (PCAH), organised by IAFOR, as vital spaces where researchers, policymakers, cultural actors, and educators come together across borders and disciplines. By providing these spaces for exchange, IAFOR continues to advance its mission to promote dialogue, understanding, and cooperation in pursuit of a more peaceful and sustainable world.
Stefania Giannini
Dr Stefania Giannini is the UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education. A prominent figure in global education, she provides strategic vision and leadership in coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the Education 2030 Agenda to ensure education remains a top priority on the world’s political agenda.
Believing that partnership is the new leadership, Stefania Giannini has mobilised action-driven coalitions such as the Global Education Coalition, connecting over 200 private and public partners, focusing on digital learning and AI in education, and the Greening Education Partnership, which brings together nearly 100 countries and 1,600 organisations.
With an academic background in the Humanities and a PhD in Linguistics, Dr Giannini served as Rector of the University for Foreigners of Perugia (2004-2012). As Minister of Education, Universities and Research of the Republic of Italy (2014-2016), she led significant reforms centred on social inclusion and cultural awareness. She also served as Senator of the Republic (2013-2018).
Recognised for her thought-leadership and strategic acumen, Stefania Giannini is frequently invited to serve on high-level committees and advisory boards, providing guidance and expertise on key policy and organisational matters.
