Riyadh symposium puts youth at centre of education

Riyadh has hosted an international education symposium aimed at giving young people a stronger role in defining what quality, excellence and fairness should mean in future education systems.

The UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education organised the event in cooperation with Yemen’s Ministry of Education as part of International Youth Day 2026. The programme brought together young people, education policymakers, researchers, experts and representatives of educational, youth and international institutions, with discussions centred on how education systems can respond more closely to learners’ priorities.

Held under the theme “Different Contexts, Shared Aspirations: Youth Reimagining Quality and Excellence in Education”, the symposium sought to move youth participation beyond consultation and towards a more active role in shaping education policy and initiatives. Organisers said the discussions were designed to capture young people’s perspectives on what makes education relevant, inclusive and capable of preparing them for changing social and economic conditions.

The symposium formed part of a broader effort by the Riyadh-based centre to establish channels through which young people can contribute to education debates across national boundaries. A youth survey was circulated alongside the event to gather views on educational quality, future learning priorities and the expectations young people have of schools and education authorities. The responses were intended to feed into the symposium’s deliberations and future programmes.

One of the initiatives highlighted around the event was the Global Youth Network for Quality and Excellence, or GYNQE, which is being developed as a youth-led international platform linking young people with opportunities to take part in conversations and activities concerning education quality. Registration has been opened for young people interested in participating in the network and its planned programmes.

The initiative reflects a wider shift in education policy discussions towards treating students and young adults as participants in system design rather than only beneficiaries of policies devised by governments and institutions. Technology, artificial intelligence, changing labour markets and unequal access to high-quality learning have increased pressure on education systems to adapt more quickly, while giving learners stronger input into what they are taught and how learning is delivered.

International Youth Day 2026 has placed emphasis on the aspirations shared by young people despite differences in geography, income and social conditions. Quality education, access to employment, meaningful participation and opportunities to build sustainable futures have figured prominently in activities marking the occasion.

For Arab education systems, the discussion carries particular weight because countries face sharply different circumstances. Wealthier states are investing heavily in digital learning, advanced skills and education reform, while conflict-affected countries continue to confront disrupted schooling, damaged infrastructure, teacher shortages and difficulties keeping children and young people in formal education.

Yemen’s involvement in the Riyadh symposium brought that contrast into focus. Cooperation between its education authorities and the UNESCO regional centre also extended beyond the event, with the two sides signing an agreement intended to strengthen collaboration in education quality and excellence. Yemen’s Education Minister Adel Abdulmajeed Al-Abadi signed on behalf of the ministry.

The centre’s approach places quality alongside equity, arguing through its programmes that educational excellence cannot be measured solely by academic performance. Access, learner participation, teaching standards, institutional effectiveness and the ability of education systems to respond to social and technological change are increasingly part of the same policy debate.

Participants examined how young people perceive those challenges and what reforms they consider most important. The focus on youth perspectives also corresponds with UNESCO’s wider work on education, which includes supporting governments, developing policy tools, promoting international cooperation and strengthening access to equitable learning.