The Europe India Centre for Business and Industry (EICBI) and Abiflo (www.abiflo.com) successfully celebrated the "International UN Day of Education" at the UK Parliament in London, marking the 28th conference of EICBI in the UK Parliament. The event brought together thought leaders, political figures, and industry experts to discuss "The Role of Education in Boosting Trade and Investment in the India-UK Corridor."
The conference began with an opening and introduction by Sampada Kotcherlakota, setting the tone for insightful discussions on education, technology, and innovation.
Lord Kuldip Sahota delivered the opening remarks, emphasizing the pivotal role of education in shaping society and driving progress. He highlighted new initiatives introduced by Rachel Reeves and outlined the Labour government’s strategies to boost businesses in Britain. This was followed by a keynote address from former Labour MP Virendra Sharma, who shared his experiences in Parliament and underscored the political relevance of education. He stressed the importance of sustained investment in education and highlighted how strengthening relations between India, the UK, and the EU could foster investment, enhance international ties, and support peacekeeping efforts.
Following a felicitation ceremony for Lord Sahota and Virendra Sharma, Abhishek Tripathi, Vice Chair of EICBI and Founder of Abiflo, presented “Unity,” a revolutionary social media platform designed to bridge the gap between politicians and citizens by truly connecting them. The platform fosters political accountability in leadership, ensuring citizens' voices are heard and counted. Unity works to create synergies that will help evolve democracies on a global scale. By integrating real-time polling, direct feedback loops, and transparent political engagement tools, Unity aims not just to enhance political engagement but to redefine the very framework through which democratic societies interact and evolve, ensuring that every voice leads to actionable change. Despite its sincere mission, Unity delivers this transformative experience through a fun, engaging social media format, making political participation both accessible and enjoyable. This presentation underscored the growing role of technology in enhancing political engagement.
Sujit Nair, Chair of EICBI, spoke on the theme “AI, Education, and Agency in an Automated World,” sharing insights into the organization’s work and contributions over the years. His address laid the foundation for deeper conversations about education’s evolving role in technological landscapes.
The first panel discussion focused on education for peace and sustainable development and was moderated by Professor Monomita Nandy, Vice Dean International at Brunel University London. Professor Claudia Girardone, Dean of Essex Business School, highlighted the importance of financial education in higher education, emphasizing its role in developing both financial acumen and social skills. CA Ranjith R Warrier, Secretary of the All Kerala Chartered Accountants Association, discussed fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and the significance of sustainable accounting practices in response to global economic shifts.
Professor Anita Krishnan from the University of Southampton Business School emphasized research on diversity, equity, and inclusion, along with the importance of IQ and EQ in preparing critical thinkers for evolving environments. Andrew Rice, COO of Global NRG, shared initiatives to engage schoolchildren in financial education, which have positively impacted entire families by promoting better financial literacy and debt awareness. The panel concluded with a lively question-and-answer session.
The second panel discussion explored the theme of technology and innovation and how academic and industry collaboration can enable emerging tech development. It was moderated by Abhishek Singh, Founder of VitaminAi. Dr Simran Chana, Director, Frontier Technologies Laboratory, University of Cambridge, highlighted the importance of talent discovery and market awareness in fostering innovation. Derya Karli, Founder of Sirius Quantum, spoke about cross-border collaborations and investments, emphasizing the transformative impact of blockchain and NFTs on emerging work environments.
Stephen Newnham, Lead of Superteam UK, discussed the need for scalable systems, talent retention, and identifying growth opportunities, highlighting issues and opportunities to accelerate the government's efforts to make the UK a tokenization hub and promote growth. Divya Prashanth, CEO of JurnyOn, stressed the importance of accessible financial communication and proposed reimagining education through problem-solving approaches that promote a holistic understanding. This session concluded with another engaging question-and-answer segment.
Abhishek Tripathi proposed the vote of thanks, acknowledging the contributions of speakers, panelists, and delegates. The session concluded with a networking segment, fostering collaboration and engagement among participants.
The conference underscored the transformative role of education, technology, and innovation in shaping the societies and economies of tomorrow. This conference was supported by Superteam, ICP, and Foundation Ventures.
Photos from the event can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/EICBIRoE2025
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