How the Learning Planet Institute and the United Nations University are co-constructing the future of education, with and for youth.
In March 2025, the Learning Planet Institute (LPI) and the United Nations University (UNU) launched the very first UNU Hub in France. The UNU Hub FLY (Future of Learning with Youth) was born from a shared conviction: young people must not simply be the beneficiaries of education, but also – and above all – its co-architects. One year later, this conviction has already translated into concrete action. A look back at a year under the aegis of the UNU Hub FLY.
A strengthened collaboration between LPI and UNU / UNU-FLORES. At the heart of this UNU Hub FLY is a close partnership between LPI and the UNU Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES), which adds its expertise in the “Resource Nexus approach” – an integrated framework for understanding the interconnections between natural resources and addressing sustainability challenges. Through its Knowledge Academy for the Resource Nexus (KARE), UNU-FLORES also engages young people across diverse learning formats, from online courses to postgraduate programmes and capacity-building workshops.
Together with LPI and supported by the UNU Paris Office, the UNU Hub FLY embodies this collaboration through joint research, conferences, and educational initiatives like the RE-ACT podcast.
Recently, LPI and UNU-FLORES also submitted a joint funding proposal, opening prospects for future collaboration and shared research opportunities.
Rethinking higher education for a planetary future. The collaboration between LPI and UNU extends well beyond the borders of Paris and Europe: on 12 August 2025, François Taddei, co-founder and president of the Learning Planet Institute, joined the UNU Rector, Tshilidzi Marwala, and the UNU Japan Outreach Communications Assistant, Yukiko Takei, at UNU Tokyo headquarters for a dialogue on the occasion of International Youth Day.
The conversation explored how education can evolve to address pressing global challenges and invited participants to rethink traditional models of education. By fostering exchanges between institutions and young people, the dialogue underscored the importance of co-creating more inclusive, creative and future-oriented forms of learning, highlighting the growing collaboration between the Learning Planet Institute and the United Nations University.
The encounter in Tokyo later expanded to the United Nations Youth Office, as François Taddei held a bilateral meeting with Dr Felipe Paullier, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, who was also visiting the UNU at the time. This exchange offered an opportunity to deepen discussions on meaningful youth engagement and the role of education in addressing global challenges, while reinforcing synergies between the Learning Planet Institute and the wider United Nations system.
- A “Youth Design Challenge” more global than ever
The 2025-2026 edition of LPI’s Learning Planet Youth Design Challenge, certified by the UNU Hub FLY and with the participation of UNU-FLORES in the jury, proves that when doors are opened for young people to mobilise and tackle pressing global challenges (Environment & Climate, Flourishing – Well-Being & Socio-Emotional Development, Mental Health & Wellbeing), they step through them eagerly and in great numbers!
The most recent 2024/25 edition saw over 1,000 young people from 105 countries registered, 270 projects were submitted, and 12 exceptional finalists were selected by the international jury. This year’s edition saw 3,200 registrations (a 220% increase); 702 projects submitted (+160%); and 60 finalists (+400%). These figures speak for themselves, representing concrete solutions to real problems developed by youth from 109 countries – from Afghanistan and Bangladesh to Kenya, Nepal, and Vietnam.
Find out more about the Learning Planet Youth Design Challenge
- Reimagining the UN from the inside
ReModelUN is another project led by the LPI, aimed at demonstrating what youth can achieve when granted genuine institutional trust, even at the highest levels.
This bold and disruptive programme reimagines the format of Model United Nations (MUN) simulations no longer as a mere imitation of the current UN, but as a space to co-design the Organisation as it could and should be.
In April 2025, during a visit to the LPI by Dr Felipe Paullier, the ReModelUN pilot programme was launched at the LPI campus. This provided an opportunity to directly connect a UN leader with our community of learners, both on-site in Paris and online worldwide.
- Strengthening ties with the UN Youth Office
Recent visits by Dr Felipe Paullier (in April ’25 and January ’26) reflect the intensification of our relationship with the UN Youth Office. This partnership has evolved from a “simple” alignment of values into true joint action.
This is evidenced by the exchanges held at the LPI in late January 2026 as part of the UN Youth Compass dialogues, where our students contributed directly to discussions regarding meaningful youth participation in international decision-making.
Find out more about the UN Youth Compass event at the LPI
- New alliances in favour of youth
The LPI recently signed a partnership protocol with the Global Student Forum, the leading international student representative organisation. This further anchors the youth voice within our mission, activities, and actions.
This type of partnership is not merely symbolic; it forms the architecture of a new kind of intergenerational co-creation. Consequently, the 2026 edition of the LearningPlanet Festival saw nearly 200 events (workshops, hackathons, conferences, etc.) organised by and for young people, both in France and across the globe.
Find out more about the LearningPlanet Festival
|
What’s next? Join our upcoming cohort of young changemakers! Applications are now open for the next cohort of In the MOOD for Climate Action – our experiential learning programme dedicated to 15–35 year-olds! During our first prototype (Summer 2025), 619 young people from 35 countries applied; 162 joined this four-week journey, blending climate science, socio-emotional skills, and the development of concrete projects.
Participants get a certificate issued by the UNU Hub FLY, access to a global network of peers, and, most importantly, a project they believe in and the tools to make it a reality.
|
We help learners to be the best IN / FOR the world. Come and transform the future of learning and build better futures with us!
Go further: See all our youth engagement programmes, in France and internationally
