Scientific Director Alfonso Molina at Pact4Future
At the Pact4Future event, currently taking place in Milan, Scientific Director Alfonso Molina brought a fundamental question back to the forefront of the debate: how to educate for human development in an era of technological acceleration. In a context marked by rapid and profound transformations, Molina urged us to recognise the complex nature of our times, describing it as ‘the age of the exponential, of great accelerations’. But true complexity, he emphasised, is not merely technological: it concerns first and foremost the human being, ‘the most complex creature in the known universe’, rife with contradictions, emotions and possibilities.
Self-entrepreneurship: becoming the protagonists of our own lives
To tackle this complexity, the educational approach of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale begins with a shift in perspective:
it is not merely a matter of developing technical skills, but of fostering self-entrepreneurship. “It is not the entrepreneurship of creating a product, but the entrepreneurship of ourselves. Therefore, we must be entrepreneurs of our own lives”. An education, therefore, that aims to enable every person to find their way, make choices and evolve. Not to adapt passively to change, but to actively shape one’s own life path.
The personal ecosystem: seven spheres for understanding oneself
At the heart of the presentation is the personal ecosystem model: an integrated view of the person as a dynamic system, composed of multiple interconnected dimensions.
It starts with the mind-body duality, which includes knowledge, emotions, obstacles and limiting beliefs. But the individual is also shaped by their surroundings:
- Relationships, because “without relationships we get nowhere”
- Social and cultural context, where values and opportunities are formed
- Environment and planet, which directly influence our well-being and our choices
From this perspective, education must lead to greater awareness of these dimensions and how they intertwine.
From model to tool: the Personal Ecosystem Canvas
This vision translates into a practical tool: the Personal Ecosystem Canvas, already used in schools and career guidance programmes. The Canvas enables students to reflect on two key questions: who I am today and who I want to become. Through guided work, students identify obstacles, aspirations, motivations and values. This is not an abstract exercise, but a process of career-oriented self-awareness, which can be integrated into school-to-work training programmes, educational activities and coaching programmes.
Life skills: beyond the lecture
In his dialogue with students, Molina highlighted a crucial point: traditional study is no longer enough if it remains confined to classroom teaching. “We need to study life skills: communication, creativity, critical thinking... leadership, problem-solving.” Alongside skills, values play a central role: “Respect and caring for others is fundamental... doing good for others is good for ourselves.” The aim is a well-rounded education, capable of developing not only practical skills, but also responsibility, empathy and vision.
Restoring the future: educating for hope
Faced with a worrying statistic – many young people say they cannot see a future for themselves – Molina reiterated the deepest purpose of education: restoring the right to dream. Not illusions, but concrete possibilities. Not simplifications, but tools to navigate complexity. An education that allows young people not only to understand the world, but also to marvel and be “enchanted”, higher levels of human experience that give meaning to the journey of growth.
From vision to action
The message is clear: education today means integrating knowledge, skills and values into a systemic view of the individual. The Foundation’s projects are also moving in this direction, where tools such as the Canvas can interact with new educational technologies and generative coaching models, as in the Arin project, to guide students and citizens along more conscious, inclusive and future-oriented paths.
