OEB Global Conference 2025: A Community in Motion

OEB Global Conference 2025 once again brought the international learning community to Berlin for three days of dialogue, debate and discovery. With participants from over 70 countries, this year’s edition was a powerful meeting point for educators, learning leaders, researchers, policymakers and innovators navigating what learning means in the intelligent age.

Across packed plenaries, hands-on sessions, informal conversations and shared reflection, one theme resonated throughout the conference: learning remains deeply human, even as technology reshapes its form.

Setting the Scene: Pre-Conference Workshops and the Learning Battle

The conference opened with pre-conference workshops that created space for focused, in-depth exchange. From AI governance and inclusive learning design to leadership and systems thinking, these sessions offered participants the chance to explore complex topics in smaller, highly interactive settings.

The evening then shifted into one of OEB’s most distinctive formats: The Learning Battle, led by Inge de Waard. With a simple but powerful structure, participants were invited to step onto the open stage and share a three-minute learning story drawn from real experience.

This year’s Learning Battle resulted in a shared win, with two winners, both part of the OEB 30 Under 30 programme, capturing the audience with stories that were personal, reflective and deeply aligned with the conference theme.

Keanu Pense spoke candidly about growing up immersed in digital environments and struggling with addiction to video games and stimulation. Rather than framing technology as the problem, he described how he learned to redirect his brain’s reward system toward learning, organisation and growth. By finding motivation in progress, structure and completion, he transformed habits that once held him back into tools for development. His story resonated widely, not because it offered easy answers, but because it acknowledged how personal, uneven and human learning journeys truly are.

Buena Jill Galleposo shared a deeply moving reflection on identity, language and belonging. Returning to the Philippines after the loss of her grandfather, she described relearning her native languages and confronting her own assumptions about education, privilege and English as a marker of success. Her story reminded the audience that learning is inseparable from culture, relationships and memory, and that education without humanity risks losing its meaning altogether.

Together, their stories embodied the spirit of the Learning Battle: learning as lived experience, shaped by context, vulnerability and care. Their shared win was also a powerful reminder of the impact and voice of the 30 Under 30 cohort within the OEB community.

Big Questions, Shared Responsibility: Plenaries and the Annual Debate

Thursday opened with the Opening Plenary, setting the tone for OEB Global Conference 2025. Keynote speakers Neil Selwyn, Andrew Maynard and Maja Göpel explored how education and workplace learning must respond to rapid technological change while protecting empathy, responsibility and human judgement.

One of OEB’s defining moments followed in the evening with the Annual Plenary Debate, moderated by Hon. Michael Onyango. This year’s motion, “This House believes that catering to shorter attention spans is dumbing down education,” sparked a lively and thoughtful exchange between Max Bankole Jarrett, Philipp Lorenz-Spreen, Adam Salkeld and Aruj Khaliq. While the audience ultimately voted against the motion, the discussion raised deeper questions about attention, design and education’s human purpose. More on this discussion can be found in the article “Shorter Learning, Deeper Questions: Inside the OEB Annual Debate 2025.”

Friday began with “The Responsibility Revolution: How Learning Leaders Shape Tomorrow’s Workplace.” Speakers Niyazi Arda Aygül, Kerri O’Neill, Avinash Chandarana and Anja Schmitz shared practical perspectives on leadership, culture and responsibility in an AI-shaped world.

And with “From Access to Integrity: Rethinking Education Today.” Moderated by Ellen Wagner, and featuring Shafika Isaacs, Niall Winters and Yong Zhao, the plenary examined how higher education can remain inclusive, critical and human in the intelligent age.

Together, the plenaries and debate reflected the core spirit of OEB 2025: thoughtful challenge, shared responsibility and a deep commitment to shaping the future of learning.

The 30 Under 30 Programme: Emerging Voices, Real Impact

The OEB 30 Under 30 programme once again played a visible and meaningful role throughout the conference. The cohort engaged in dedicated sessions, contributed to discussions across the programme and brought fresh perspectives shaped by diverse professional and cultural backgrounds.

From the Learning Battle stage to informal conversations across the venue, the programme reinforced OEB’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of learning leaders and amplifying voices that challenge assumptions and expand the conversation.

A Full House of Ideas: The Exhibition at OEB 2025

The exhibition floor was buzzing throughout OEB. With a packed hall and a constant flow of conversations, it became a true meeting point for innovation, experimentation and exchange.

From emerging start-ups to established solution providers, exhibitors showcased new tools, fresh thinking and practical applications shaping the future of learning. Live demos, spontaneous discussions and hands-on encounters turned the exhibition into a space where ideas moved quickly from concept to conversation.

More than just a showcase, the exhibition was a place to connect. It brought together educators, learning leaders, technologists and partners, creating the kind of informal, high-energy interactions that make OEB such a distinctive experience.

A Shared Celebration: The Evening Event

The conference atmosphere continued into Thursday night with the Evening Event, where delegates, speakers and exhibitors came together to celebrate the community itself. With music, conversation and a relaxed setting, the evening captured what makes OEB distinctive: a space where professional exchange and human connection naturally intersect.

Closing Reflections

As the conference drew to a close, one message stood out clearly. Whether discussing AI, attention, inclusion or leadership, the most powerful moments were those that returned learning to its human core. OEB Global Conference 2025 was not just a showcase of ideas, but a reminder that learning is shaped by values, relationships and responsibility.

Thank you to all speakers, chairs, participants, sponsors and partners who contributed to this year’s edition. OEB remains a place where ideas are challenged, perspectives widened and futures imagined together.

We look forward to continuing the conversation.