Get ready for Global Skills Week

We have seen a fundamental shift in the perception of 'skills' as they have moved from a long-term concern to a permanent leadership priority. Governments, universities and employers have been forced to rethink how people are prepared for work, how learning systems adapt, and how talent moves across borders in a more uncertain world.

QS Global Skills Week 2026 brings global decision-makers together in Washington, D.C. to focus on practical responses to the skills challenge, grounded in data, policy insight and real-world collaboration.

Four key themes shaping the program

• Future Skills Systems
  How education systems must adapt to AI, automation and lifelong learning, while remaining credible, flexible and future-ready.
• Skills Partnerships for Growth
  What meaningful collaboration between universities, employers and governments looks like in practice, and how partnerships can drive economic resilience.
• Skills as the Global Currency
  Why skills-based recognition, credential portability and global talent mobility are becoming as important as qualifications.
• Skills for Societal Impact
  How skills development can support inclusion, sustainability and long-term opportunity for communities and economies.

Featured sessions

• Preview of the QS World Future Skills Index 2026
  New insights into emerging skills demand, workforce trends and global talent flows.
• The MBA Reimagined
  How will business education adapt to a skills-driven era? Experts will discuss the trends and showcase their innovative work.
• Education 2050: What’s Next?
  A forward-looking briefing on how learning, work and credentials may evolve over the next 25 years.
• Skills Without Borders
  Exploring global talent mobility, cross-border recognition and the future of skills-based hiring.
• What's next for Global Flows & Talent Mobility
  Leaders from NAFSA, CBIE and AIEA will dive into international student mobility data, sharing predictions for the future of student flows.
• Workshops on skills-first curricula, responsible AI and lifelong learning
  Practical, discussion-led sessions focused on implementation, not theory.

Featured Speakers

Global Skills Week is designed for senior leaders responsible for skills strategy, education policy, institutional direction and workforce development.

If you are shaping decisions that will define how people learn, work and progress in the years ahead, this is a conversation you should be part of.