By Joseph Varghese/Staff Reporter
The 2015 edition of the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) will be held under the theme “Investing for Impact: Quality Education for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth.” The summit will take place in Doha from November 3 to 5.
WISE, a global initiative of Qatar Foundation, is a premier international platform for innovation and creativity in education. Launched in 2009, the summit is a unique opportunity for the participants to find out more about the most cutting-edge practices in education, network with high-level people from all sectors, and to actively participate in building the future of education.
This year, WISE is introducing a new, more compact format to enhance networking by offering participants more time to work together and a chance to discover Doha. Each year, more than 1,500 delegates from over 100 countries gather at the annual WISE summit.
WISE 2015 will be the first global education conference following the ratification of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015. The annual summit will be an ideal opportunity for the global education community to identify practical and concrete ways to achieve the new education priorities of the SDGs.
WISE 2015 sessions and plenaries will be designed around three main pillars. They are the ‘UN Sustainable Development Goals’, ‘Education and the Economy’ and ‘Fostering Innovation in Education Systems.’
Each of these pillars will further examine a variety of key topics which include the linkages between education, employment, and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, they will look into education reform and innovation in the Mena region and Qatar, emerging models of education financing, attracting, rewarding and retaining quality teachers and the importance of investing in early childhood development.
WISE maintains that stronger global action is needed to reinforce weak education systems, to open opportunities to new players, to develop a “job-ready” talent pool amid persisting inequality and marginalisation, to nurture global citizens and support wider economic progress.
According to the organisers of the summit, the global investment in education in the last century has contributed significantly to economic growth helping lift billions of people out of poverty. Despite this success, there are still large pockets of neglect, underperformance and underinvestment.
The three-day summit offers a conducive environment for interactive discussions with speakers, experts and members from the WISE community. Attendees are given an opportunity to collaborate, share best practices and challenge their thinking during interactive plenary sessions and debates. Focus sessions highlight innovative practices or projects, along with workshops to facilitate collaboration on specific issues.
