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On August 10, 2026, the International Seminar on Global Governance for Human Security, co-organized by the Global Network Program, was held online.

The seminar featured Professor Sung-Sang Yoo of Seoul National University in the Republic of Korea. Under the theme “Why Should We Still Pay Attention to Basic Education?,” Professor Yoo began by tracing shifts in the global education agenda, from Education for All (EFA) to SDG 4 and, more recently, to digital education, artificial intelligence (AI), skills development, and future competencies. At the same time, he highlighted that serious learning poverty persists in Sub-Saharan Africa despite these shifts in the global education agenda, demonstrating that basic education cannot yet be regarded as a “finished” agenda.

The lecture then examined Mozambique as a case illustrating how expanded access to schooling does not necessarily guarantee learning. Drawing on the country’s experience, Professor Yoo explained that the expansion of access to schooling and compulsory education alone is insufficient to ensure adequate learning outcomes. He highlighted the need to improve the quality of education through adequate school infrastructure, qualified teachers, appropriate curricula, sustainable education financing, and stronger institutional capacity. These challenges illustrate the broader problem of “schooling without learning,” in which increased access to education is not necessarily accompanied by improvements in learning outcomes. Professor Yoo also emphasized that foundational learning skills, including literacy, remain essential prerequisites for responding to emerging educational agendas such as digitalization and AI. The lecture therefore reaffirmed the continuing importance of basic education in international education cooperation.

More than 200 students, faculty, and staff members participated in the seminar online. During the question-and-answer session, participants actively exchanged views on how the quality of basic education can be improved in developing countries, the education challenges specific to Sub-Saharan Africa, and the significance of focusing on Mozambique among countries in the region. The discussion also addressed how basic education should be positioned amid growing attention to emerging agendas such as digitalization and artificial intelligence. The seminar provided a valuable opportunity to deepen participants’ understanding of the current status, challenges, and continuing importance of basic education in Sub-Saharan Africa and to reaffirm that quality basic education remains an essential foundation for education development in the post-SDG 4 era.