Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the Education Affairs Office at the Crown Prince Court is organizing the second edition of the Global Teachers’ Forum “Qudwa 2017” on the 7th and 8th of next October at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi
The Forum, which aims to empower teachers to improve the future of education will host over 800 participants of teachers, experts, opinion leaders, government officials and pioneers in the educational sector, from 65 countries, in interactive discussions on their experiences and success stories in the field of education.
The Forum is being held in association with the Ministry of Education, the Abu Dhabi Educational Council, Dubai Knowledge & Human Development Authority and the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET), in addition to leading international institutions such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD), Teach for All Organization and Varkey Foundation.
Mohammed Khalifa Al Nuaimi, Director of the Education Affairs Office at the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court, stressed that this forum represents UAE’s desire under the leadership of H.H Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, to develop quality education at the highest standards, and with the follow-up of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to establish a high quality education system in line with the “National Agenda of 2021” and the “Abu Dhabi Plan 2030”, focusing on creating a complete transformation of the learning and education systems.
He said: The priority in achieving such goals is to enable teachers to understand the transformations and changes witnessed by our generation, and to comprehend the behavioural orientations of the new generation who live in many virtual worlds with diverse media, stressing that the teacher must remain an example for students and society.
The Director of the Education Affairs Office at the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court added that “Qudwa 2017” completes the UAE’s efforts and international initiatives aimed at achieving the goals of sustainable social and economic development with education as a foremost element.
He pointed out that the launch of a global dialogue on the future of education finds an ideal platform in the country that leads the world not only in its humanitarian development initiatives and its contribution to the eradication of illiteracy in many countries of the world, but also in its ambitious aspiration to invest in the future, and to be aware of the challenges posed by technological and scientific developments in the lives of people and communities.
Al Nuaimi stressed that the status of countries and people is now determined by the extent of the development of the educational system where knowledge, morals and values are combined, mentioning that the “Qudwa” Forum represents a platform of human experiences and innovations, which have improved the standard of living of people, and empowered them with today’s tools to make their lives easier and more beneficial. This Forum brings together all cultures and orientations for the honourable goal of creating generations capable of upholding integrity and performing the same in an objective and transparent manner.
He explained that the Forum raises problems and issues which affect the essence of the educational process, and highlights leading models which have made a substantial difference in education on an international level.
He stressed that despite the openness created by technological innovations between people and the abundance of communication means, the new generation still desperately needs a role model to follow in order to improve their ability and creativity, and contribute to the advancement of their community and country.
The “Qudwa 2017” program is divided into three main themes that are “Ask – Share – Advance”. Participants in the first theme seek to raise questions around the most important issues that inhabit teachers in our contemporary world. During the second theme, they exchange ideas and experiences to find solutions to these issues. The third and final theme centres on the development of teaching methods to keep pace with the accelerating changes of technological innovations.
The three themes combine to form the dimensions of the global dialogue aimed by “Qudwa” entitled “Education For the Future”. The first theme “Ask” represents a platform of inspirational figures who have asked questions about the future of education, who have introduced new approaches that have changed traditional education models known by schools for many years, and provides an opportunity to raise questions during interactive sessions allowing constructive dialogue. During the Forum, all questions posed in sessions will be displayed on a digital panel to enable speakers to share the same on social media.
The second theme “Share” comprises of sessions on inspirational experiences that allows participants to identify individuals who have made a fundamental difference in the world of education. Additionally, discussion sessions will provide participants with the opportunity to formulate the “Qudwa” program during the time of the Forum, in order to select those subjects most important to them and subjects they wish to discuss during the Forum. Teachers will have the opportunity to vote on those proposed subjects through the “Qudwa” application for smart phones. Within a session entitled “Building Bridges”, the “Share” theme provides an opportunity for individuals with common interests to interact.
The third theme “Advance” aims at familiarizing teachers with creators and pioneers and how to promote the culture of values in the classroom. Sessions in this theme include a “session with experts” to discuss the reality of education and changes thereto, and the methods that allow teachers to adapt to these changes and improve education for the future. The theme presents the “Teachers Lab” workshops, managed by experts and pioneers in the world of technology and innovation related to education.
Key Speakers
Key speakers in “Qudwa 2017” include Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in France; Julia Gillard, former Australian Prime Minister, and a select number of teachers and pioneers such as; Victor Ochen, 2015 Nobel Prize Nominee and Founder of the African Youth Initiative Network in Uganda and So-Young Kang, Founder and Catalyst/CEO and Co-Founder of Awaken Group/Gnowbe in Singapore.
05/09/2017