Future of Education in UAE: ECSSR Convenes 4th Annual Education Conference
- 11 September 2013
The progress of nations nowadays is measured by their wealth of education (knowledge) and culture. This type of wealth can be owned only by a robust approach in education system. Moreover, the challenges facing young generations in the UAE and Arab World in general, necessitate from educators in these societies to adopt the best modern methods of education. These modern tools and methods can help in upbringing a new generation equipped with thought and innovation, and consequently enable the youth to face all possible challenges.
As The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) assigns a great interest in the vital issues related to education, it convenes its 4th Annual Education Conference under the title: The Future of Education in the UAE: Innovation and Knowledge Production.
The conference will be held under the kind patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and President of the ECSSR on 17-18 September 2013. The conference comprises four panels, for presenting a number of genuine research papers by prominent experts, researchers and academics and officials from education sector, coming from the UAE, Gulf region and other parts of the world.
Day one, Tuesday 17 Sep 2013, includes the launch of the Opening Panel, with the Welcoming Remarks to be delivered by H. E. Dr. Jamal Sanad Al-Suwaidi, Director General of the ECSSR. That will be followed by the Keynote Speech by His Highness Sheikh Mubarak Al-Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development.
The First Panel will be titled “Innovative Schools for Innovative Students”, and will be chaired by Dr. Ali- Al-Arai, Director of Scholarship Coordination Office, Ministry of Presidential Affairs, United Arab Emirates. Professor Dr. Sobhi Yamin, General Director of the International Center for Innovation in Education, in Germany, will present a paper titled: “International Trends to Boost Innovation in Education”. That will be followed by Philippa Cordingley, Chief Executive of the Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education (CUREE), from UK, who will present a paper titled: “Integrated Learning: A Form of Learning Combining e-Learning with Traditional Summer Learning”. After them, Ms. Hind Al-Mua’alla, Chief of Engagement at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) will present a paper titled: “Applying Educational Innovation in the UAE”.
The Second Panel titled The Role of Education System in Knowledge Economy will be chaired by Dr. Sulieman Al-Jassim, former vice-president of Zayed University, UAE. At its beginning, Dr. Howard Albier, Chairman of The Canadian Board of Science, Technology and Innovation, will present his paper titled: “Promoting The Best Practices to produce Knowledge in Knowledge-Based Economy”. Then Dr. Abdulla Al-Shaiba, head of Specialized Training Unit at the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA), UAE, will present his paper titled: “Research and Development in the UAE”. The third paper will be presented by Dr. David Gale, a professor at “Education Institute” in the University of London, under the title: “Preparing Students for Knowledge Economy”.
During Day Two of the conference, 18 September 2013, the Third Panel will be held under the title: “Internationalization of Education in the UAE” and will be chaired by Ms. Fatima Al-Shamsi, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Administration of Paris-Sorbonne Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. At the beginning of the panel a paper will be presented by Professor Philip Altbach, Director of International Higher Education Center, Boston College, USA, titled: “Internationalization of Education: A Global Phenomenon”. It will be followed by a paper by Professor Jason Lane, assistant professor at Education College, SUNY Albany, USA, under the title: “Branches of Foreign Universities in the UAE: What are the Benefits?”. After that, Dr. Arif S. Al-Hammadi, Executive Director of Higher Education Sector at the “Abu Dhabi Education Council”, UAE, will present a paper titled: “A Strategic Plan for Higher Education Sector: Towards Building a Knowledge-Based Society”.
The Fourth Panel will hold the title: Students’ View about Innovation, Knowledge Production and Internationalization of Education and will be chaired by Dr. Fatima Al-Marri CEO, Dubai School Agency. Speakers in this panel will be students delegated from “Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research”, “Zayed University”, “UAE University”, Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi”, and “American University of Sharjah”. After this panel, the sessions of the conference will be concluded by H. E. Director General of the ECSSR, with the concluding remarks, announcing the end of the proceedings of the conference.
