World Innovation Summit for Education 2012

Updated on: Monday, December 03, 2012

The fourth edition of the World Innovation Summit for Education 2012 (WISE) brought together more than 1,000 academic , corporate, political and social leaders from over 100 countries at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha to explore the theme, 'Collaborating for Change.'

How can the world, through newage education, address the complexities and interrelated challenges facing the world today? What are the creative solutions to access, financing and teaching? How do we improve strategies to share success and enhance institutional processes? These and several other questions were discussed and deliberated upon by participants during the three-day summit (November 13-15 ).

His Excellency Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani , chairman of WISE, in his welcome address said, "WISE is an ideal platform for multi-sectoral collaboration in building the future of education . We have to consider how education can be re-shaped to meet the major challenges of modern life, against the backdrop of globalisation, and despite stark inequalities among and within societies."

According to Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson, Qatar Foundation, organisers of the summit , WISE, it is through education that a collective mind of communities is formed that helps in building a future , which is innovative.

The summit offered interactive discussions with speakers, experts and members from the WISE community. Attendees got an opportunity to collaborate , interact and share best practices during the several plenary sessions and debates. Also, some of the other sessions focused on innovations and projects, along with workshops to facilitate collaboration on specific issues.

For Jenna Brashear, a graduate student at Vanderbilt University, US, collaborating with learners is the best way to teach them how to collaborate along with acquiring other important 21Century skills. Emphasising on collaboration, Brashear said, "Collaboration with learners makes education more responsive and effective for learners; by increasing involvement, learners show willingness to engage in active citizenship in the future and finally it helps in building a curriculum that incorporates real-life materials."

Talking about the importance of private partnerships for overall growth of education, Andrew P Swiger, senior vice-president , ExxonMobil Corporation, said, "Collaboration of government, philanthropic institutes and business is needed for education to reach out to the world. This is because the role of business brings real knowledge in the economic space in the communities we operate in."

However, according to Irina Bokova , director-general , UNESCO, education is also becoming part of a global political agenda. She pointed out that education today is not just about human rights any longer, but also an answer to questions on globalisation or for that matter economic crisis. "Education empowers people, it is about human dignity, peace and sustainable development. Education is also about having healthy families and healthy children. So, education, inevitably, brings in sustainability in different areas of development," she added.

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