In just a couple of days,the city of London will be home again to one of the world's most significant education events: theEducation World Forum (EWF).Once more,the city will warmly receive about 480 delegates, including over 100 Ministers of Education, leaders of International, for Profit andNon-for Profit Organizations, Social Entrepreneurs, Innovators, andPractitioners from around the world, all gathering to address the big challenge of making educationaccessible, equitable, and relevant.

Over a period of four days (Jan 27-30), the delegates will engage in a variety of panel discussions, workshops and activities that will allow them not only to share experiences and policies, but also to exchange genuine and valuable lessons learned through the process of national education reform and system transformation. The event is hosted by the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) and supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Department for Education (DfE), the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), and the British Council. Through theGlobal Educationteam, Ciscois proudly contributing to this event as one of theirPlatinum Sponsorswith a significant presence in the Forum's agenda and exhibitions:

OnTuesday, January 28, I will be chairing a Ministerial Key Note session aimed at debating howpolicyand technologycan join forces to help address the challenges of quantity, quality and impact. Ministers of Education will engage in an honest assessment of their country's education challenges and reflect on strategies and policies that increase access without compromising quality or impact.

On that same day, Cisco and the other partners of theATC21S?Consortium (Intel, Microsoft and the University of Melbourne), will host aworkshopto discuss the benefits and lessons learned from implementing the ATC21S? approach in participating jurisdictions.  ATC21S? (Assessment and Teaching of 21^stCentury Skills) is a multi-stakeholder collaboration that aims to research, develop, and create innovative resources for assessing and teaching 21st century skills.

We will also have anexhibition areawhere we will be sharing Cisco's thought leadership in education, as well as engaging with delegates and visitors while showcasing Cisco's approach to authentic education transformation.

As the event progresses, the Global Education team will be in touch with you, posting regular updates that highlight conclusions and action items agreed at the Forum. I look forward to participating at this exciting event and to sharing with you key reflections and outcomes that may turn out to shape the future of education in the years to come.