Bringing Together Stakeholders from Education, Academia, Industry, and Government to Discuss Curriculum Alignment, International Standards, and the Future of Learning in Israel
In the 21st century, the world is becoming more digital and global than ever before. Groundbreaking technological advancements are reshaping the division of labor between humans and computers. Science and the job market are evolving at an unprecedented pace, and Israel – having built its competitive edge on science and technology – finds itself at the forefront of these changes, exposed to their impact more than many other nations.
These transformations are leading education systems worldwide to recognize their shared challenges and responsibilities. Schools must prepare the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to thrive in this new era. This realization has driven international education organizations, such as the OECD, IEA, and others, to develop global standards and tests that serve as key benchmarks in education – such as PISA, PIAAC, and TIMSS.
In the coming years, with the rise of the artificial intelligence revolution, international education standards will take another significant leap forward. The next generation of excellence must reach new heights – both in deep, diverse, and rich knowledge, and in advanced skill sets. We are entering an interdisciplinary era, where science and technology will increasingly rely on higher-level mathematics and advanced computing tools capable of learning and reasoning independently.
This is the horizon that sets out the vision for the Trump Foundation’s commitment to prepare Israel’s next generation of excellence. Our journey began with doubling the number of students pursuing five units in mathematics, expanding excellence programs in middle schools and now, preparing for the next leap forward. This process involves aligning curricula with international standards, developing new educational materials, and fostering a broad professional community working together toward a common goal.
As part of this effort, the Afeka Academic College of Engineering approached the foundation. Established in 1996, Afeka is home to approximately 3,500 undergraduate engineering students. For the past seven years, the college has hosted an annual conference, and for the past two years, it has focused on adapting Israel’s education system to meet the demands of the 21st century. These conferences, organized in partnership with the financial newspaper TheMarker, have attracted about 200 participants from the education and technology sectors.
Afeka approached the foundation following the publication of the 2023 international assessment results (TIMSS and PIAAC), which highlighted Israel’s concerning performance. The college now plans to dedicate its upcoming conference to analyzing these findings and their implications for curriculum development, the education system, higher education, and the high-tech industry.
This upcoming conference is scheduled for the summer of 2025 in Tel Aviv, with around 300 participants from education, academia, the army, government, and industry. The event will feature discussions on global education standards, the knowledge and skills required in Israel’s high-tech sector, and real-world case studies from schools, the military, academia, and the workforce.
* The text above shows the grant as approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors / Grant 606