🌐 FWE Global Forum 2025 | Education as Diplomacy

On October 14, 2025, the Forum for World Education (FWE) hosted its high-level roundtable “Global Perspectives on Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education” at The Penn Club of New York.

New Empire Corp. Chairman & CEO Bentley Zhao, serving as a Board Member of FWE, joined international leaders from government, business, and academia to discuss the future of workforce development in the era of AI and industrial transformation.

Opening the event, Dr. Cheng Yan Davis, Chair and Co-Founder of FWE, emphasized “Education as Diplomacy”—the belief that education serves as a bridge for global cooperation, skills innovation, and sustainable growth.

Mr. Zhao highlighted the structural talent gap in the U.S. construction industry, calling for the integration of apprenticeship pathways, certification systems, and workforce partnerships. He noted that “industry must not only benefit from educational reform, but actively drive it.”

At a time when technology is reshaping every sector, the forum brought together global experts including Dr. El Iza Mohamedou (OECD Centre for Skills), Dr. Erik Swars (SFUVET), Mr. Duane Hughes (UBS Americas Advisory Council), Dr. Tristan Denley (Louisiana Board of Regents), and Mr. Brent Parton (CareerWise USA) to explore collaborative solutions in education and skill-building.

🏙️ Rooted in New York for nearly three decades, New Empire Corp. is dedicated not only to creating high-quality urban developments, but also to advancing global understanding through education and dialogue.

✨ Continuing our mission of “building homes” into a greater vision of “connecting worlds,” New Empire Corp. remains committed to fostering partnerships at the intersection of education, technology, and sustainable urban growth.