First International Forum on Skills Intelligence in Post-Secondary & Higher Education, organized by the UOC

How can we anticipate the skills that will be needed in the future job market? What role should universities play in this transition? These questions will be at the heart of the International Forum on Skills Intelligence (IFSI) in Post-Secondary & Higher Education, which will be held, fully online, for the first time on 2 and 3 July 2025. The forum, which is organized by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), is a pioneering platform for reimagining higher and post-secondary education from a skills intelligence perspective.

The event will feature over 30 leading experts in this field, including Terence Hogarth (University of Warwick), Kathleen deLaski (Education Design Lab and Harvard Project on the Workforce) and Konstantinos Pouliakas (CEDEFOP), as well as representatives from major institutions such as the OECD, the European Training Foundation (ETF), Georgetown University, Maastricht University and the University of Aberdeen.

There will be over 15 live sessions, including keynote speeches, hands-on workshops, parallel sessions, and networking opportunities for different time zones. The rector of the UOC, Àngels Fitó, who will give the forum's welcome address, said of the new event, “In the face of urgent global challenges, higher education must not only adapt but lead the way toward a digital, green, and equitable future. Developing critical skills across disciplines empowers learners to become agents of change. I invite our academic community to engage in this workshop as a unique opportunity to reinforce our shared commitment to innovation and social responsibility in higher education.

Using skills intelligence to reshape education

The aim of the forum is twofold: it aims to strengthen the emerging field of skills intelligence, defined as the ability to analyse, anticipate and align the skills needed in a changing society and job market; and in tandem, it seeks to provide universities, public authorities and professionals with specific tools to transform training, guidance and lifelong professional development.

The forum will explore skills intelligence across the entire post-secondary education landscape, ranging from undergraduate and postgraduate courses to sector-specific vocational training, professional reskilling through microcredentials, and modular learning pathways. The event will also focus on lifelong learning pathways, using integrating approaches that link initial qualifications to advanced studies to boost employability and support ongoing upskilling to adapt to changing requirements.

According to Mitchell Peters, a member of the Labour Market Research and Analysis Unit at the UOC who is co-organizing the event, IFSI aims to become a leading annual platform for researchers, policymakers, employers and education professionals seeking to anticipate major changes in the world of work and strengthen the alignment between the available training programmes and social needs.

Three main themes and six areas for discussion

The conference is structured around three main strategic themes. The first one focuses on building skills intelligence ecosystems to inform decision-making in the field of education, from shaping public policy to driving organizational change in institutions. The second one revolves around emerging methodologies and the use of technologies, such as artificial intelligence and big data analytics, to anticipate needs and align skills accordingly. Finally, the third one explores how universities, businesses and individuals can adapt to changes in the job market and society as a whole through lifelong learning, microcredentials and innovative approaches to academic and career guidance.

Open call for submissions until 30 May

A call for papers has been issued in connection with the forum, inviting contributions from researchers, institutional leaders and professionals in the fields of education and employment. Selected submissions will be showcased in multimedia format (including a summary, video and presentation) and included in the public proceedings of the event.

Unlike other academic conferences, IFSI is based on an innovative participation model, with recorded presentations, abstracts of 250 to 500 words, transcripts and PowerPoint presentations. Submissions will be reviewed by the organizing committee based on their relevance to the topic, methodological rigour, clarity and coherence, and on their potential to influence policy, research or professional practice.

Proposals must be submitted by 30 May. The authors of the selected presentations will have 15 minutes to speak, followed by a five-minute Q&A session.

Intelligent, connected and accessible learning

Over its two days, the event will showcase examples of institutional best practices, skill mismatch assessment tools, technological solutions for curriculum design, and strategies for more effective career guidance. There will also be discussions on how to integrate these innovations into different education systems and regions in the world.

Online networking opportunities, recorded sessions and thematic forums will also be available to enable interactions between participants logging in from different time zones. Attendees will be able to take part in discussion groups and access technical support and the materials.

IFSI seeks to lay the groundwork for a new higher education framework that is more agile, better attuned to the world of work and more focused on ongoing professional development. It is a setting in which to define how to teach, learn and make decisions in a changing world.

You can register for the event here: https://symposium.uoc.edu/131964/tickets/international-forum-on-skills-intelligence-ifsi-in-post-secondary-and-higher-education.html

To submit an abstract proposal, go to: https://symposium.uoc.edu/131964/upload/international-forum-on-skills-intelligence-ifsi-in-post-secondary-and-higher-education.html