No ready-made answers or miracle solutions. Having participated in the Bett UK, held in London, left Brazilian education professionals feeling inspired, full of ideas, and eager to do even better. The 2023 event, which took place from March 29 to 31, was attended by a Brazilian delegation of more than 150 people. 

Janette Brunstein, associate dean of undergraduate studies at Mackenzie University, who was most actively involved in Ahead—the section of Bett focused on higher and professional education—says she benefited greatly from the presentations in understanding the trends in her field. “I was able to see how people from different countries and different sectors—governments, civil society, businesses—are thinking about the future of education: what questions they’re asking, what the major debates are. And also how they’re finding solutions—not necessarily technological ones,” she says. 

From the private elementary education sector, Fabia Antunes, academic director at Lourenço Castanho School, attended Bett UK for the second time and, once again, believes it was worth it. “It was already interesting last year to understand how people are interpreting new technologies in education. This year, I noticed a difference—probably because people realized that, with the very explicit emergence of artificial intelligence, education needs to change,” she says. The responsibility for how to use technology was also a topic of discussion: “I felt that the pedagogical discourse is what will make a difference,” Fabia notes.

Seeing up close how people from all over the world are using technology for education also offers an opportunity to evaluate one’s own practices. As part of the basic public school system, Samuel Guedes, director of educational technology for the municipality of Bertioga, attended Bett UK last year in search of specific solutions. In 2023, with a solid solution already in place, he was able to keep up with the latest developments and exchange experiences. “I saw that we’re on the right track. Sometimes, we look outside the country and think things are always better there, but the reality isn’t quite like that. Brazil is quite advanced,” Guedes notes.

Among the current trends, gamification and artificial intelligence stood out. “Two things caught my attention during Bett, from a technological standpoint: the importance placed on digital security solutions, given the ongoing shift toward digital education, and, of course, the impact of artificial intelligence, which has overshadowed topics such as the metaverse, for example,” says Emílio Munaro, vice president of Anebhi —the National Association of Hybrid Basic Education and a board member of Bett Brasil.  

If there was one lesson that many learned, it was the importance of personal connections. “Best of all—and this is thanks to the efforts of the Bett Brasil team—was being part of the delegation. The many contacts and networking opportunities made all the difference for me,” says Munaro. And he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Attending the event in London for the first time, Gustavo Gonçalves, from Mkt4Edu, agrees with this perspective. “Participating in Bett UK was incredibly rewarding and very intense. What I liked most were the networking opportunities—the fact that we had a dedicated space for our delegation, where I was able to meet various industry players from Brazil and even other Latin American countries to exchange experiences,” adds Gonçalves.

The next event in the global series already has a set date: May 9–12 at the Transamerica Expo Center will see Bett Brasil, Latin America’s largest education and technology event. More than 160 sessions are scheduled, including panel discussions, roundtable conversations, and workshops, featuring more than 280 experts who will discuss the paths and prospects for the future of education. Check out the event’s full schedule.

Registration to visit the event is free and can be completed here. Registration for the Bett Brasil Conference, Ahead by Bett, and the Managers’ Forum can be completed here.