🌍 What's the biggest bet in AI? People.
Governments are making the biggest bet in AI on people. This week: national skilling at population scale, AI tutors for disadvantaged pupils, and more classroom screen bans. Join QS innovation summits in New York 🗽 and London 🇬🇧!
Hello 👋
Across higher education, workforce systems, and school networks, AI capability, technical skills, and general literacy is increasingly being treated as a prerequisite at every level, and governments are building the delivery structures to match.
In higher education, Saudi Arabia mandated AI instruction across 30 universities and Iraq approved its first AI graduate institute, framing capability as national infrastructure. In the US, Utah approved a new AI bachelor's degree and Washington launched an AI minor designed to reach well beyond computer science students. While these initiatives anchor around technical skills, educators report using generative AI to teach learners to use it ethically and responsibly first.
In workforce, Oracle is training 300,000 in Uttar Pradesh through 2029, Turkey's national AI Action Plan targets 5 million citizens within two years, and UNESCO and Bangladesh launched AI training for civil servants this week, all through state-corporate channels, largely outside formal education.
In K-12, the UK's AI Tutoring Pioneers Programme targets 450,000 disadvantaged pupils from this summer, while France and other governments extend phone bans to high schools , a tension that sharpens questions around evidence, access, and what AI-enabled edtech actually needs to demonstrate to earn a place in the classroom.
📍 Upcoming Education Innovation Events
| Event | Date | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 🎓 QS Higher Ed Summit: Europe 2026, Budapest | 24–25 June | Register |
| 🏫 Webinar: EdTech Innovations Powering College-to-Career Pathways | 30 June | Register |
| 🗽 25th Annual 'Back to School' Summit, NYC ☀️ Summer's just getting started — but seats are filling fast. |
15–17 Sept | Register today → |
| 📅 QS Reimagine Education 2026, London ⏰ Super early bird ends next week. |
7–8 Dec | Register today → |
| 🗓️ 2026 Innovation Webinar Series | On-demand + live | Browse all |
💡Think your institution or product belongs on the Reimagine Education stage?
Applications are open — and the super early bird registration closes next week.
⭐ AI & Digital Innovation Spotlight
💼 LinkedIn, in partnership with Adobe, launched AI Essentials for Marketers, a set of role-based courses on LinkedIn Learning designed to build core AI literacy for marketing professionals, responding to a sharp rise in job postings requiring AI skills.
🌱 Anthropic unveiled Claude Corps, a $150M fellowship placing 1,000 early-career workers inside US nonprofits such as the Reef Environmental Education Foundation, pairing hands-on AI training with mission-driven work to build career pathways for entry-level talent.
🤖 Simplilearn introduced Alby AI, a multi-agent learning framework with specialized "AI Buddies" guiding learners through mentorship, tutoring, quizzes, and project support, aiming to deliver a more personalized and responsive upskilling experience.
🤝 Policy & Partnerships
🛡️ Malaysia introduced a ban on social media accounts for children under 16, reflecting broader efforts to create safer digital environments and strengthen protections for young learners in an increasingly technology-driven society.
🎓 Pearson and Jordan extended their vocational education partnership through 2031, supporting the continued development of skills-based learning pathways and workforce readiness initiatives aligned with evolving labor market needs.
🌍 Ireland tightened requirements for long-term student visa applications, introducing updated measures to strengthen oversight of international education pathways while maintaining the quality and integrity of the student migration system.
💪 Power Moves & Funding
AI in learning was in focus this week (trades training, quantitative research, professional credentialing) over general-purpose edtech platforms, with a notable exception from a Chinese edtech.
🤖 Dongli, an AI-powered education company, raised $51.7M to expand its AI-driven learning offering, marking this deal the first major Chinese EdTech deal this year.
🧮 Corca Research, a New York-based quantitative research provider, secured $7.8M to build an AI-powered collaborative workspace for mathematics.
🔧 Skillmaker, a Carolina Beach-based startup delivering XR- and AI-based training, closed $4.5M to scale its platform across additional trades in partnership with NAPA Auto Care.
📚 Colibri Group acquired Audirie to advance AI-enabled professional learning across its credentialing and continuing-education businesses.
🧸 OWNA Group acquired Enrolment Hub to expand enrolment and occupancy solutions for Australia's early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector.
👉 For more insights on innovation and technology in the education market, go to the QS Analytics Platform or request a demo to learn more.
