STATEMENT ON INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION DAY: EDTECH PROMOTES DEMOCRATISATION OF EDUCATION WORLDWide

Erfurt, 20 January 2021 - 24 January is International Education Day. UNESCO created this day because the UN's Sustainable Development Goals include high-quality, inclusive and equitable education for all.

Prof. Dr. Alexandra Wuttig, Chancellor of IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU): "Education is a key to greater prosperity and growth for all countries in the world - and for each and every one of us. In this context, digitalisation is a central driver for the democratisation of education.

EdTech (Educational Technology) is becoming increasingly popular. Countries like India and Singapore have been investing heavily in digital education for a long time, and it has been very well received. With its fun character and playful elements, EdTech can also inspire more educationally distant strata to learn. In addition, EdTech dissolves the traditional teaching approach: There is no longer one system for all, but the system is agile and adapts to the learning wishes of the individual.

Once digital systems are built, educational offerings can be scaled, reducing costs for individual participants. Because of the low cost of teaching, more and more people in the world can participate in upscale education and invest in their own future.

At IU International University of Applied Sciences, we have deep insights into the world's education systems: our students come from more than 170 countries. 70 per cent of them have a non-academic background - so it is possible to make higher education accessible to more and more people and to democratise it."

ABOUT IU INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES 
With over 75,000 students, IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) is the largest university in Germany. The private, state-recognised educational institution brings together more than 200 Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes under its roof, which are offered in German or English. Students can choose between on-campus study, dual study, distance learning and flexible combination models and thus shape their studies in a self-determined way. In addition, IU facilitates continuing education and promotes the idea of lifelong learning. The university's goal is to make education possible for as many people as possible. IU began operations in 2000 and is now represented in 28 German cities. It cooperates with over 10,000 companies and actively supports them in employee development. Its partners include Motel One, VW Financial Services and Deutsche Bahn. Further information at: www.iu.de/en