Events

On 22 September 2025, the AE4RIA team participated in the high-level side event Education for Peace & Planet: From Histories to Futures, held during the 80th United Nations General Assembly and NYC Climate Week.

Organized by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the Centre for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, Mission 4.7, SDGs Today, and the Global Schools Program, the event convened educators, students, policymakers, and international partners to emphasize the transformative role of the Ages of Globalization (AoG) initiative. Inspired by Professor Jeffrey Sachs’ influential book, AoG is a free, interdisciplinary, and interactive learning program that has already engaged more than 13,000 learners and educators across 165 countries. By exploring seven ages of human history, the program enables participants to deepen their understanding of global interdependence and to design solutions for contemporary challenges.

Professor Dr. Phoebe Koundouri delivered the opening remarks, underscoring the global impact of the AoG program and the contribution of the EU-funded ARSINOE Project in co-developing lessons and climate resilience case studies that position education as a catalyst for sustainability action. She emphasized that history can serve as a powerful guide in the search for innovative solutions to today’s crises, from climate change to inequality.

Dr. Dimitris Raptis (SDSN Greece) contributed to Panel I: Learning Across Ages, highlighting the importance of integrated and participatory learning that bridges science, policy, and society. He pointed to the capacity of Generation Z as adaptive system-thinkers and showcased initiatives such as AoG and the SDSN Global Climate Hub as leading examples of transformative education for global citizenship.

Through their contributions, the AE4RIA team demonstrated how education can evolve beyond passive learning toward active, action-oriented approaches that prepare future generations to become engaged and responsible global citizens