1. After more than two decades of experience, how would you say the way we understand education and training in Catalonia has evolved? What have been the most significant changes?
I believe we have moved from viewing education and training as a stage of life to understanding them as a continuous process. Twenty years ago, we still thought that first we studied and then we worked. Today, that is no longer the case. Learning has become an integral part of professional life.
We have also witnessed a major transformation in the way we access knowledge. We have moved from a model centered on the transmission of knowledge to one in which knowledge is abundant and permanently available. This requires us to rethink the role of educational institutions, their leadership teams, and educators.
However, the most profound change is not technological but pedagogical. The real value no longer lies in accumulating information but in knowing how to interpret it, compare it, verify it, apply it, and turn it into sound judgment. That is probably the defining competency of the 21st century.
2.What are the advantages and the challenges of having so much information readily available when it comes to learning?
Never before has it been so easy to access knowledge. Anyone can learn almost anything from virtually anywhere. This is extraordinary and has democratized access to many opportunities.
At the same time, however, it creates an obvious risk: confusing information with knowledge. Having access to vast amounts of data does not mean understanding it, let alone knowing how to use or interpret it. We need to make a conscious effort in this regard. That is why I believe the most important form of literacy today is learning how to evaluate sources, verify evidence, identify biases, and develop independent judgment. We need strategies, tools—and above all, we need to think, and to know how to think.
In a world saturated with information, critical thinking is no longer a desirable complement; it has become a necessity. More than ever, we need a strong cultural, humanistic, and philosophical foundation.
3.Some people argue that artificial intelligence will make part of traditional education unnecessary. Do you share that view, or do you believe that education and lifelong learning will become even more important?
I would argue exactly the opposite: artificial intelligence makes learning more important than ever.
AI will automate many tasks, but it cannot replace judgment, responsibility, creativity, or the ability to make complex decisions. In fact, the more capable these systems become, the better prepared people will need to be to use them wisely. The more AI we have, the greater our human responsibility.
The challenge is not to compete with AI, but to learn how to work alongside it without delegating what is fundamentally human. Education will need to spend less time on the reproduction of information and much more on developing discernment, ethics, and critical thinking.
4. In a context where professional skills are constantly evolving, what role do you think reskilling and upskilling play? Which competencies do you consider most important for addressing the future of work?
I believe reskilling and upskilling will cease to be exceptional concepts and will instead become standard practice. Rather than occasionally updating our skills, we will need to embrace lifelong learning as a permanent way of life.
Of course, technical skills will continue to evolve, especially those related to AI and digital transformation. But the most valuable competencies will remain deeply human: patience, hope, empathy, compassion, and creativity.
I would also include the ability to learn continuously, adapt, communicate effectively, collaborate with others, think critically, act responsibly, and maintain an open mind in the face of change. Technology evolves at an extraordinary pace; our challenge is to strengthen the human capacities that enable us to make sense of that evolution.
5. Based on your research into the relationship between education, society, and technology, how do you imagine education and training will look ten years from now? What will change, and what do you hope remains unchanged?
We will probably see a far more personalized learning experience thanks to AI’s ability to tailor education to individual needs through algorithmic personalization. Learning pathways will become more flexible, guidance more adaptive, and we will have tools capable of helping us learn much more efficiently.
However, I hope that some things never change.
The educational relationship must remain irreplaceable. We learn with people and through people; we grow together with others, not only through digital platforms. We will continue to need teachers and educators who inspire, guide, mentor, ask meaningful questions, and help learners develop sound judgment. I believe the role of tutors and mentors will become increasingly important. And not everyone is equally capable of fulfilling that role well.
If there is one thing we should preserve, it is the idea that education is not simply about transmitting knowledge, but about helping people grow into individuals who can understand the world, live together within it, transform it, and inhabit it responsibly.
6. Autoocupació’s motto is “I am what I want to be.” What about you? Are you?
I consider myself very fortunate because I have been able to turn my curiosity and enthusiasm into my profession.
I am deeply passionate about what I do. I enjoy researching, teaching, writing, and engaging in dialogue with educators, institutions, and education leaders about the major challenges facing education today. I continue learning every single day, and that is probably what defines me best.
So yes, I feel very close to that motto. However, I would add one small nuance: “I am what I continue learning to become.” Because I believe that the best definition of a person is their ability to keep learning and growing throughout life.
And as a final reflection, in Goethe’s words: “Treat a person as they are, and they will remain as they are. Treat them as if they were what they could and should be, and they will become what they could and should be.”
