Bett Global launches inaugural Ministerial Symposium at Royal Lancaster London: A powerful new platform for global education leadership
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At the Royal Lancaster London on 20 January 2026, this inaugural gathering brought together education ministries, policy influencers and EdTech innovators from around the world to confront the systemic challenges facing learners today and to co-create solutions that are inclusive, scalable and future-ready.
With the theme "From ‘what if’ to ‘why not’", the symposium called on leaders to reimagine what's possible for education, and then identify the steps to get there.
A truly global gathering, united by purposeThe invite-only event brought together 300+ high-level ministerial representatives and global education leaders, including 44 Ministers and Undersecretaries for Education and Higher Education, to tackle some of the sector’s biggest shared challenges.
In total, delegates from 54 countries were represented, with over 50% of attendees from Europe - a powerful signal that European governments are stepping up to lead and take accountability in driving forward the systemic digital transformation of learning.
We kicked off the day with opening remarks from Duncan Verry, Bett Portfolio Director, and Borhene Chakroun of UNESCO, followed by a keynote address from Olivia Bailey MP, representing the UK Department for Education. One of the standout moments was the Ministerial Panel, where global leaders Andreas Schleicher (OECD), Renato Feder (São Paulo, Brazil), Kristina Kallas (Estonia), Ryan Donaghy (New Brunswick), and Hon. Haruna Iddrisu (Ghana), shared powerful insights into what true digital transformation in education really looks like, and the leadership, policy and innovation required to make it happen.
Later in the morning, we were honoured to host a fireside chat between Dr Pia Britto (UNICEF) and Cassie Kozyrkov (Former Chief Decision Scientist, Google), diving into the importance of strategic imagination in an AI-driven world, a compelling reminder that bold thinking and creativity are more essential than ever.
Looking ahead: From insight to impact
We wrapped the day with a sharing of key outcomes from each roundtable, brought together in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group, offering practical next steps to support progress across the education, government and technology sectors in 2026 and beyond.
The day ended on a high with a networking reception and gala dinner, where connections were deepened and ideas continued to flow long into the evening. The conversations continued over the next few days at Bett UK 2026 where the Government Lounge provided a continuing hub for collaboration and conversation.
A new chapter for global education at BettThe Ministerial Symposium was designed to create a space for real, focused collaboration among those at the very top of the education system. It was about moving from vision to action and judging by the energy, insights and intent in the room, this is just the beginning.
To every leader, policymaker, speaker and partner who joined us: thank you! We’re incredibly grateful for your contributions and can’t wait to build on this momentum.
Together, we can drive limitless learning for all.
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