Adult learning and education can bring people together across national borders and open up new horizons: When the Taliban took power in 2021, the lives of many people changed overnight—including those of the staff at DVV International's partner organization, ANAFAE. But for them, with the help of the German Local Staff Program, education became a bridge from Afghanistan to Germany, from uncertainty to new prospects. Their stories speak of loss, courage, and a powerful new beginning in a foreign country. Today, they help shape educational programs themselves and strengthen integration, participation, and social cohesion.
Artificial intelligence is the defining issue of our time. It is transforming the way we live, work – and learn. But what exactly does this mean for global adult learning and education (ALE)? This question was at the heart of a conference organised by DVV International and its partners in Laos at the end of 2025. Among the key speakers was Martin Dougiamas, founder of the learning management system Moodle and its head of research. In this interview, he reflects on the opportunities and risks of AI, and on the future role of ALE in this new era.
The first edition of the "Lúmina: International Film and Education Showcase" film festival took place in fall 2025: from October 6 to 9 in Quito and from October 16 to 18 in Guayaquil. The event transformed Ecuador's two most important cities into spaces for dialogue between education, art, and social reflection.
The festival, organised by DVV International, brought together teachers, pupils, filmmakers, researchers and the general public to explore one of the central questions: How can cinema contribute to rethinking education in a changing world?
In our rapidly changing world, literacy stands as a fundamental pillar of progress, empowerment, and equality. As societies grow more interconnected and knowledge-driven, the ability to read, write, and critically engage with information has become an essential skill rather than a mere privilege.
On 8 September 2025, Uganda joined the rest of the world in commemorating International Literacy Day (ILD) under the global theme “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era”. DVV International supported the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) in two key events: the ILD Symposium and the commissioning of a Community Learning Centre (CLC).
DVV International is proud to celebrate the 50 years’ anniversary of one of its principal national partners in Tanzania – the Institute of Adult Education (IAE). Tanzania’s IAE stands out as a government-established, publicly funded national institute dedicated to adult education – one of the few of its kind on the continent.
In many of the countries where DVV International operates, it remains challenging to convey the concepts of lifelong learning and adult learning and education (ALE).
In Malawi, DVV International in collaboration with the National Centre for Adult Literacy and Education (NACLAE) has launched the the ‘Kuphunzira Sikumatha’ campaign, a Malawian version of “lifelong learning” in the local language, Chichewa. ‘Kuphunzira Sikumatha’ literally means “learning doesn’t stop”. This campaign has helped many people, mainly in rural areas, to fully understand what lifelong learning is about.
