International Day of Education, AI and education: Preserving human agency in a world of automation
Jan 21, 2025 |
5 Mins ReadEvery year on January 24, people around the world come together to celebrate the International Day of Education. It’s a time to reflect on how AI in education shapes our lives, opens up opportunities, and helps build more knowledge and discoveries. For 2025, the theme is both timely and thought-provoking: "AI and Education: Preserving Human Agency in a World of Automation."
The 2025 theme highlights the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. It’s about exploring how learning can help us navigate new technology while making sure we stay in charge of the decisions and ideas that shape our future. With automation becoming more common, the conversation focuses on how we can balance these advances with our values and individuality while using AI responsibly.
What’s Happening This Year?
UNESCO will host a gathering at the United Nations headquarters to explore the relationship between AI and education, focusing on how education can adapt to these changes and exploring its opportunities and challenges
- Global Event in Paris: On January 24, 2025, UNESCO will host a global event in Paris focusing on the intersection of AI and education.
- Global Event in New York: A parallel event will take place at the United Nations headquarters in New York, addressing similar themes.
- Webinar on Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI: Organised by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, this online webinar on January 24, 2025, will explore the implications of AI for lifelong learning.
Why This Day Matters
The International Day of Education is a reminder of how essential learning is to solving big challenges, such as poverty, climate change, inequality, conflict, public health, and access to resources. It’s a moment to share progress, build connections, and spark new ideas for making education better and more inclusive. By focusing on AI this year, the goal is to encourage thoughtful discussions about how technology can work for us without losing sight of what makes us human.
Zendy Signs First US University Press Partnership with the University of Georgia Press
Oxford, UK – Nov, 2025 – Zendy, the AI-powered research library serving more than 800,000 readers globally, has entered into a new partnership with the University of Georgia Press (UGA Press) to broaden the international reach of its publications. This marks Zendy’s first partnership with a university press in the United States, further expanding the reach of UGA Press’s titles to a global audience. Founded in 1938, UGA Press publishes 70 new titles annually, with recognised strengths in literary studies, history, environmental studies, sociology, geography, Atlantic world studies, and regional scholarship. Through this agreement, a selection of its catalogue will become available to researchers, students, librarians and professionals across Zendy’s international markets. This partnership reflects a growing confidence among academic publishers in Zendy’s model of widening access, increasing visibility, and ensuring that scholarly work finds engaged global readers. Zendy currently works with several major UK university presses, including Oxford University Press, Bristol University Press, and Liverpool University Press, which also distributes British Academy content. These collaborations have shown that academic presses benefit from Zendy’s reach, predictable revenue model, and strong content discovery tools designed for both specialist and interdisciplinary research. The agreement with UGA Press also includes the option to integrate AI-supported discovery features that help researchers navigate publications more effectively. These capabilities range from enhanced metadata enrichment to responsible, context-aware summarisation and multilingual discovery. Recent commitments from Bristol University Press and Liverpool University Press to adopt elements of this approach reflect a wider trend across scholarly publishing: a growing demand for AI tools that improve discoverability and user experience while preserving the integrity and rights of academic content. “The UGA Press is excited to partner with Zendy on bringing our scholarship to a broader global audience with enhanced discovery tools. We especially value Zendy’s focus on reducing inequality in access to scholarship and development of ethical and transparent AI strategy.”—Lisa Bayer, Director, UGA Press With over 2,200 titles in print, the University of Georgia Press publishes innovative scholarship and compelling stories that inspire and inform the people of Georgia and the world. Learn more at ugapress.org. Zendy’s mission is rooted in supporting not-for-profit academic publishers by expanding the reach of their content and helping them connect with new international audiences. As academic presses continue to navigate changing reading habits, new technologies, and limited distribution channels outside their home markets, Zendy offers a sustainable and reader-centric way forward. For media inquiries, please contact:Lisette van KesselHead of MarketingEmail: l.vankessel@knowledgee.com
Zendy AI Assistant, ZAIA, Now Speaks Your Language
We’re excited to share a major milestone! As we grow, we want to make research easier for everyone. That’s why Zendy AI Assistant, ZAIA, now comes with a new multilingual feature: you can search and receive answers in your own language. Whether you’re exploring research in Arabic, English, French, or any other language, ZAIA understands you and delivers accurate, clear answers. This update is more than a feature, it’s part of our mission. At Zendy, we aim to make knowledge accessible and inclusive for all librarians, researchers, students, and academics, reaching users in ways that feel natural to them. By breaking language barriers, ZAIA helps more people discover, understand, and use research effectively. This is just one step in making ZAIA your personal research assistant, helping you discover knowledge in the language that feels natural to you.Try ZAIA now! .wp-block-video video { max-width: 65% !important; display: block !important; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; height: auto !important; }
Kamran Kardan, Co-Founder of Zendy, to Speak at QS Eurasia Forum 2025 in Tashkent
We are proud to announce that our Co-Founder, Kamran Kardan, will be a featured speaker at the QS Eurasia Forum 2025, taking place on 25–26 November at Central Asian University in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. This inaugural summit brings together university leaders, policymakers, and education experts from across the Eurasia region to explore collaboration, innovation, and the future of higher education. The forum’s theme, “Broadening Horizons: Building Global Bridges in Higher Education,” focuses on strengthening international partnerships, advancing research excellence, enhancing academic mobility, and shaping future-ready learning ecosystems. Kamran will join a distinguished panel in a session titled: “Building a Globally Recognised University from the Region: Strategies and Success Stories” During the session, Kamran will share insights and strategies on how universities in the region can achieve global recognition, highlighting practical approaches, real-world success stories, and lessons from Zendy’s journey supporting academic research and collaboration. Date & Time: Tuesday, 25 November at 13:30 UZT The QS Eurasia Forum 2025 promises a comprehensive program including keynote speeches, interactive panel discussions, masterclasses, workshops, and extensive networking opportunities. It serves as a pivotal platform for uniting East and West, showcasing best practices, and fostering strategic relationships that will shape the future of higher education in the region. Participation is open via the official QS Eurasia Forum website. We look forward to contributing to this landmark forum, sharing knowledge, and engaging with leaders committed to advancing higher education across Eurasia. .wp-block-image img { max-width: 75% !important; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; }
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