The T20 (or Think20) serves as an “idea bank” that provides policy recommendations to the G20 leaders to assist them in addressing pressing global challenges across critical economic, social, political, and cultural domains. At its core, the T20 brings together leading global think tanks and high-level experts that share the common goal of promoting "a sustainable, inclusive and resilient society."
This past year Dr. Lyons was appointed to the T20 under the Japanese G20 presidency. She served on the task force for "The Future of Work and Education for the Digital Age" and was a participant of the 2019 Global Solutions Summit in Berlin. This talk will provide a summary of the T20’s accomplishments under the Japanese Presidency. In particular, she will highlight the work and core recommendations of the task force for “The Future of Work and Education in the Digital Age.” Countries, intergovernmental organizations, and NGOs have been promoting digital skills development for at least the last two decades. Digitalization, automation, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) generate opportunities for the global economy and society. Still, mismatches in desired digital skills between education and industry pose ongoing challenges for the future of work. Large segments of the population remain ill-prepared to fill jobs that require at least a basic set of digital skills. With rapid technological advancement, traditional and emerging learning deficits put these populations at greater socio-economic risk, exacerbating inequalities and unemployment. Dr. Lyons will discuss key opportunities for educational institutions such as the University of Illinois to address the digital skills divide and create more tangible outcomes for the workplace and beyond. The talk will conclude with a preview of critical issues facing the next T20.
