In 2020, the global workforce lost an equivalent of 255 million full-time jobs, an estimated $3.7 trillion in wages and 4.4% of global GDP, a staggering toll on lives and livelihoods. While vaccine rollout has begun and the growth outlook is predicted to improve, an even socio-economic recovery is far from certain.
The choices made by policymakers, business leaders, workers and learners today will shape societies for years to come. At this critical crossroads, leaders must consciously, proactively and urgently lay the foundations of a new social contract, rebuilding our economies so they provide opportunity for all.
In this context, the Forum remains committed to working with the public- and private sectors to provide better skills, jobs and education to 1 billion people by 2030 through initiatives to close the skills gap and prepare for the ongoing technological transformation of the future of work.
Education should be like everything else. An on-demand service
Services such as TV, taxis and takeaways fit around our busy modern lives. Could we binge-watch our education in the same way?
Prince William says it's fine for his kids to be gay - but he's concerned about discrimination
On a visit to a charity which supports LGBTQ+ young homeless people, Prince William said he worries about the persecution his children might face if they were gay.
How activists are bringing gender equality to the Formula 1 racetrack
Comments from Dutch politician against the removal of grid girls from Formula 1 has re-sparked the debate regarding feminism and sport.
A robot could be your carer in old age - but are you ready?
The best learning agent is that of the human mind, and modelling how humans learn could help develop robots that we can interact with naturally, say computer scientists.
Has the time finally come for a female U.S. President?
When all six women candidates take the stage for the first official Democratic primary debate, they will outnumber the total number of women who have ever participated in a presidential p...
How universities can become a platform for social change
Our paradigm shift to a knowledge-intensive economy is also bringing about a historic transformation in human society – and universities are set to play a pivotal role.
The Women’s World Cup's hot summer: here's how much the female game has changed
From viewing figures to sponsorship, the women’s game is growing rapidly – with the FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer highlighting the growth in the global game.
In a globalised economy, your team must be culturally competent to succeed
In today's multicultural, international business world, cultural ignorance is no longer permissible from any employee or company, says this article's interviewee.
Malaysia’s student-debt crisis could cripple the economy, unless the government acts
Fueled by rising economic prosperity and aspirations, the global higher-education sector boomed during the 1990s and 2000s, and, unsurprisingly, student-loan debt has surged worldwide.
Selling sketches and clothes, Libyan women set up businesses against the odds
Cumulative inflation over the last four years has seen real incomes lose more than half of their purchasing power, and the government effectively devalued the dinar last September
'Those you never see': Paris photo series reclaims women's bodies
Women's rights and art charities commissioned six female refugee artists from Afghanistan to Iran to highlight the subjugation of women for the exhibition.
Learning a musical instrument helps children to achieve higher grades. Here's why
The findings of the new study add to a body of information which shows the positive effects of music learning on cognitive performance.