Education and Training Section 50th Anniversary Book: The SET 50th Anniversary Book, titled Library and Information Science Education Around the World: Historical Trends, Current Perspectives, and Future Projections, celebrates SET’s 50 years since its founding in 1974 as one of IFLA’s first five sections. The volume, published by De Gruyter, continues the legacy of the 40th-anniversary publication edited by Clara Chu in 2014.

IFLA Student Paper Award: An initiative recognizing outstanding LIS students whose abstracts are accepted for presentation at the IFLA Congress. The award, granted six times in the past, selected three finalists each year—one winner received Congress attendance support and publication consideration in the IFLA Journal, while the others received certificates. The project aims to encourage student engagement with IFLA, reward excellence, and provide opportunities for professional growth.

SET Training School: Based on the results of IFLA’s Global Vision discussions, SET has recognized the need of a curriculum suitable for the social role of libraries, aimed at social inclusion, digital inclusion and lifelong learning. LIS students must be educated to be able to assess and support the needs of society, becoming active agents of social inclusion and social justice for a better society. SET has proposed to set up a SET Training School with the aim of facilitating teaching and learning for a social role and ultimately to enable professionals to carry out the IFLA Global vision.

Webinar Series for LIS Students: In 2021, SET proposed and coordinated the IFLA Division IV Webinar Series for LIS Students across the Division units. Its aim is to engage LIS students in an international dialogue with the IFLA community about the future of LIS. SET SC will continue to collaborate on a project with the Division C units to enable LIS students to present their research or/and projects for the professional community and to involve students in professional activities and developing competencies, as well as becoming members of the IFLA professional community.

Webinar Series on International LIS Education: These webinar series bring together educators, researchers, practitioners, and students from around the world to discuss emerging trends, innovative teaching approaches, and the evolving competencies needed in today’s global information landscape. Each session will highlight diverse educational models, share real-world experiences, and encourage meaningful dialogue across borders.

Collaborations

Collaboration with BSLISE – IFLA Guidelines for Professional Library and Information Science Education Programmes: The Guidelines serve as an international framework for developing library and information science education programmes, which stakeholders can apply to plan, develop, and assess the quality of LIS education.

Collaboration with BSLISE –  LIS Schools Map and Database: The impetus behind this project was to begin to build a global database of LIS schools and programs using data gathered from an international survey that requested information on contact details, degrees available, certifications offered, as well as languages available within the program, and registration for professional practice.

Collaboration with BSLISE – Ranking Project of LIS Programs: A project analyzing how global university ranking systems assess LIS education, using data from over 160 LIS schools.

Collaboration with ICKMR & KM – Perspectives on Global Knowledge Management Training and Education: The project explores how Knowledge Management (KM) is understood, practiced, and taught worldwide, aiming to identify competencies, skill needs, and educational approaches relevant to LIS and KM. Currently, the project involves 46 researchers from 23 countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, South Africa, the UK, and the US. The team is conducting qualitative interviews with KM employers and practitioners in each participating country to understand skill expectations and professional trends.