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From Paris to the future of our kids: what I take home from the IECA Symposium 2026
When I unpacked my suitcase upon my return from Paris, I realized that the heaviest bags were not the ones filled with notes and university brochures, but the ones loaded with reflections, perspectives, and new awareness.
As I told you in my Previous article on the reasons for my departure, I had embarked on this journey to the’IECA Symposium with a very specific set of questions in my mind. They are the same questions I hear every day in my practice: how will my child find his or her place in a world dominated by artificial intelligence? Or does it still make sense to make sacrifices for an international education when technology seems to be able to shorten every distance and automate every skill?
Today, after two days of intense discussions, panels and comparisons hosted in the modern and vibrant spaces of the IÉSEG School of Management, just beneath the imposing Grande Arche de La Défense, I return home with solid answers and a deep sense of gratitude.
Indeed, I must confess a particular pride: I did not experience these days only as a spectator. In the past months, as I had anticipated, I had the great privilege of working behind the scenes to shape the agenda of the’IECA Symposium, side by side with Andrea Tsahageas and an outstanding team of colleagues. Together, we built a program that focused on the real challenges of today: the impact of AI, global education, and the evolution of European university models. Seeing our incredible community come alive and engage with each other on these issues was the culmination of a long team effort.
In front of an auditorium packed with representatives from some 40 universities in Europe and the United States, along with some 80 independent educational consultants, we went through a real “transatlantic assessment” of the future of our kids. And I come back with a much clearer view of who the “Future Learner” really is today.
Artificial Intelligence is not the enemy, but a mirror of our humanity
How, then, to respond to this “structural erosion”? The answer cannot be a simple integration of AI into classrooms, but a real redesign. As Lapenta (John Cabot ) pointed out, when intelligence becomes widely accessible, institutions must consciously cultivate what remains scarce: the skills that AI can never reproduce or replace.
Echoing him, in one of the most exciting moments of the event, was Andreas Schleicher, Director of the Education and Skills Department and special adviser to the OECD Secretary-General.. Schleicher reminded us of a truth that technology often makes us forget: the best indicator of high-quality teaching is when students believe that their teacher would be genuinely happy Of seeing who they have become years later.
An algorithm will never be “happy” with our boy's achievements. It will not feel pride seeing him graduate, nor will it know how to instill courage in him after a failure. We human beings are and remain social animals: we learn through inspiration, emulation, collaboration and even that healthy competition in a college classroom. Only genuine human connection can fuel the true “appetite” for knowledge and turn a simple study period into the true journey of growth I wish for every student.
Beyond standardized tests: the true value of “Best Fit”.
Today's cutting-edge universities are not simply looking for “test machines” capable of memorizing notions on repeat. Instead, I look for students with real critical thinking, capable of grasping ethical nuances, working in international teams, and adapting to rapidly changing contexts.
This ties in perfectly with what I try to convey to families when we talk about study abroad in 2026: studying across borders is not just a medal to pin on your resume or a trick to jump the queue in the job market. It is a real gymnasium of life. It is an accelerator of those soft skills (human and soft skills) that will become the real discriminating factor when AI has automated most technical skills. An international experience teaches children to navigate uncertainty, understand cultures profoundly different from their own, and build a network of relationships that no machine can ever replicate.
The new role of counselors (and parents) in the AI era
As educational guidance professionals, our responsibility is undergoing a radical transformation, and so is the role of parents. What does this mean in daily practice? It means that we are no longer - and should no longer be - mere “information providers.” If a kid just wants a list of ten European universities with courses in English, today he only needs to type a prompt on ChatGPT. But artificial intelligence cannot read the anxiety in the eyes of an indecisive 17-year-old. It cannot interpret family dynamics, it cannot assess whether a city is too dispersed for a given student's character, and it certainly cannot build a tailored plan by paying attention to the Economic sustainability and to real costs that the family will face over the years.
To stay relevant, both as counselors and as parents, we need to take a step forward: we need to think deeper, ask better questions of our kids and provide invaluable value in which AI is completely lacking: human critical judgment, empathy, lived experience and deep connection.
Practical advice for families of the “Future Learner”
In light of all that emerged at the IECA Symposium, how can we translate these lofty reflections into concrete actions for those who are about to choose a college or university pathway abroad? Here are some solid points to build on:
- Seek interdisciplinarity: do not just look for ultra-specialized and purely technical courses (so-called “structured cognitive production,” which is in danger of soon being commodified by AI). Evaluate universities that allow contamination of knowledge (for example, combining economics and philosophy, or computer science and social sciences). Mental flexibility will be the winning weapon.
- Investigate the human side of the university: during Open Days (or on campus visits I organize), don't just ask what the occupancy rates are. Ask what the ratio of professors to students is. Ask if the professors know the students by name, if there are mentoring programs, and if real group work and ethical debate is encouraged, not just the delivery of written essays.
- Use AI as a stepping stone, not a crutch: Encourage your children to use artificial intelligence to do exploratory research on universities, but demand that the “why” they choose one destination over another comes from deep personal introspection, not from the algorithm.
Ready to begin this journey together
The incredible energy I breathed in Paris during this IECA Symposium, made even more special by the overwhelming enthusiasm of the IÉSEG students who acted as our “ambassadors” throughout the event (real professionals of the future!), filled me with optimism.
The “Future Learner” we used to talk about on the work tables is not a hypercompetitive, cold automaton. It is the boy or girl who sits in the chair of my study: sometimes frightened, often confused, but always the bearer of extraordinary dreams, aware that he or she must build a future-proof flexibility, developing purely human skills that technology can never take away.
If, as a family, you are considering embarking on this incredible study abroad pathway, my message to you is one: the education of the future is coming under tremendous structural pressure, but for that very reason our children will need schools and universities that are more humane than ever before. It will be a challenging journey, dense with crucial choices, but rich with satisfaction. And I am here, with my mind enriched by this new European background, ready to accompany you. Together, step by step, toward tomorrow.
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