What will the world look like in 10 or 20 years? What professions will exist? How will we communicate? How will we learn? And most importantly - what skills will our children need in order to thrive in it?

These were some of the topics discussed by Dr. Antonina Kardasheva and Petеr Mitеv on the bTV program “120 Minutes” with host Svetoslav Ivanov - a conversation not simply about education, but about the way we prepare the next generation for a world that is changing faster than ever before.

Today, we live in a time when change no longer happens over generations, but within months. Technology is entering our lives at an unprecedented pace, artificial intelligence is gradually becoming part of our everyday reality, and the professions we know today will likely look very different in just a few years.

Not so long ago, we were preparing our children for a relatively predictable world - you complete your education, choose a profession, develop within it, and gradually build your life. Today, however, reality looks different. The world is becoming increasingly dynamic, and the most important skill is no longer simply to know, but to be able to adapt.

According to Dr. Antonina Kardasheva, this is exactly where one of the biggest challenges facing education appears. Because the question is no longer only whether children receive enough knowledge. More importantly, do they develop the skills that will help them navigate a world that is constantly changing?

There is something fascinating - never in history have people had access to so much information. Today, every topic is only a few seconds away through search. But that does not automatically mean we possess more knowledge.

Peter Mitev highlights an important distinction - information by itself is only raw material. Real value comes when we are able to understand it, analyze it, and apply it in real life. Because knowledge is not simply the accumulation of facts. It is the ability to discover connections, ask questions, and turn learning into solutions.

And perhaps that is exactly why the conversation naturally turned to emotional intelligence - one of the skills that often remains outside the traditional understanding of education.

For many years, we believed that success depended mainly on knowledge and academic achievement. But life often shows otherwise. A person may possess enormous potential and still struggle to find direction, communicate effectively, or manage their own emotions.

Dr. Antonina Kardasheva expressed it in a particularly precise way:

“Academic knowledge opens doors, but emotional intelligence keeps them open.”

Emotions are not something separate from learning. They are part of the way we think, make decisions, and build relationships with the world. If a child cannot recognize their own emotions, does not understand others, and does not know how to react in different situations, knowledge alone is not always enough.

That is why Connective Minds views emotional intelligence not as an additional skill, but as the foundation upon which all other abilities are built.

The conversation also questioned something we all tend to accept as normal - the way we measure children’s success.

How often does a single grade begin to define the way a child sees themselves? Can one mark measure curiosity? Imagination? Courage? Creativity? The ability to handle difficult situations?

Probably not.

Petеr Mitev compares it to trying to describe a car with only one number - it simply does not provide real information. And children are far more than a grade, far more than a test result or diploma.

The future does not need people who simply reproduce information. It will belong to those who can connect different ideas, think critically, remain creative, and preserve what is human in a world of increasingly intelligent technologies.

At Connective Minds, we believe we should not have to choose between people and technology. We should not have to choose between emotions and science.

We believe the future is where they work together. Because the children who will create tomorrow’s technologies, make tomorrow’s decisions, and shape tomorrow’s world will need more than knowledge alone. They will need to understand themselves, others, and the world around them.

And perhaps the most important question is not “What should children learn?” but “What kind of people do we want them to become?”

Watch the full conversation here.