The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) launched Doha Learning Days (DLD) Festival Wednesday and honoured the winners of 2022 WISE Awards at a special ceremony in the presence of HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education Buthaina bint Ali al-Jabr al-Nuaimi at Msheireb Museums.While innovation in education marked the opening of the festival, it was also an occasion to highlight the winning projects of the WISE awardees. WISE, Qatar Foundation’s (QF) global education initiative, selected the winners from among projects worldwide for their innovative approaches to pressing education issues and positive impact on their communities.Minister al-Nuaimi, addressing the gathering at the opening ceremony, congratulated the award winners for their innovative and inspiring projects in addressing a number of global education challenges socially, environmentally, and economically.“Such activities and projects urge educators to awaken motivation and reflect on education as a value and impact to believe in the capabilities of young people, and the role of education in refining and investing these capabilities,” she said.“It always leads us to pose exciting challenges and inspiring competitions in which we target young people, not only to win awards and incentives, but for higher goals represented in employing science and knowledge to improve the quality of our lives, and the lives of others around us.”The minister also disclosed that Ministry of Education and Higher Education, in co-operation with the Doha International Family Institute at QF and a group of partners in the community, has launched a programme called ‘Tansheaa’ targeting young people by preparing and strengthening the aspects that direct their energies which will benefit them and their communities.Stavros N Yiannouka, WISE CEO who gave away the awards, highlighted the partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and with local partners in making the WISE events highly impactful and innovative. He also announced that the 11th edition of the global biennial WISE summit – one of the largest and most influential education gatherings – will take place from November 28-29, bringing an international network of educators and innovators to Doha to collaboratively share ideas and creative solutions to pressing challenges.The ceremony, hosted by Ahmed al-Mansoor, an educator at Qatar Academy for Science and Technology, one of QF’s Pre-University Education schools, turned the spotlight on global education challenges and the role of WISE in recognising and encouraging innovation to find new ideas and solutions.In an outdoor setting at Msheireb Museums, fostering a vibrant learning ecosystem is a goal of WISE-DLD Festival. The event will showcase local initiatives and encourage the community to take part in over 50 hands-on experiential learning activities with a strong youth empowerment focus. The festival welcomes the public until February 4.The six WISE Awards winners are from Mexico, Qatar, Kenya, India and the US, and the ceremony celebrated the projects as models of excellence that inspire innovative, creative action to support equity, access and quality education. Qatar-based teachers and practitioners can gain more insights from the six winners by registering for the exclusive WISE Awards Masterclass Series on Saturday.Zubair Junjunia, CEO and founder of ZNotes delivered a keynote address at the opening ceremony highlighting the importance of providing fair and equal access to education. He touched on his experience in setting up the online community-led learning platform, ZNotes, when he was 16 years old with its mission to enable high-quality education for all through student-built content and peer learning.Junjunia is among the 20+ content partners collaborating with WISE DLD to curate an exciting programme of workshops, master classes, and informal activities focusing on career development, financial literacy, tech skills, well-being, and the arts.

Adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Majed bin Mohamed al-Ansari said Qatar and Japan have agreed to exchange memorandums on visa exemption for Qatari citizens through the pre-registration system for Qatari travellers to Japan.Dr al-Ansari noted that the new system allows Qatari citizens to immediately register and obtain an entry permit, expecting the application of the system to start in the summer of 2023.Speaking at the weekly media briefing, Dr al-Ansari said that the strategic dialogue between Qatar and Japan has attached special importance to expanding the scope of co-operation between the two countries in all issues, noting that the next round of the strategic dialogue is scheduled to be held in Doha.He shed light on HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani’s recent tour of Istanbul, Tehran and Tokyo. Dr al-Ansari added that HE Sheikh Mohamed attended in Tokyo the second strategic dialogue between the governments of Qatar and Japan.On allowing the burning and tearing of copies of the Holy Qur’an in some European capitals, he affirmed that Qatar swiftly condemned the event at every location it took place, noting that Qatar has issued more than one condemnation in order to emphasise its firm positions on such matters similar to the positions of other Arab and Islamic countries.He said that any Islamic global effort in the field of combating forms of discrimination on a religious, ethnic or other basis is welcomed by Qatar and said it is working to fulfil it, and stressed that the issue of Islamophobia represents a great concern to the leadership in Qatar.Dr al-Ansari said that HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs referred specifically to the global threat of Islamophobia at a press conference in Tehran recently, noting that Qatar strives, along with the Arab and Islamic countries, to have a decisive role in this issue.For his part, Director of Media and Communication Department Ibrahim bin Sultan al-Hashmi reviewed Qatar’s stances on several issues recently.He pointed out that Qatar condemned, in the strongest possible terms, the brutal Israeli aggression at the Jenin camp, which led to several deaths and injuries, and considered it an extension of the heinous and horrific crimes of the occupation against the defenceless Palestinian people, adding that the Israeli occupation has become more reassured than ever before of impunity and unaccountability.He added that Qatar condemned and denounced, in the strongest possible terms, burning and tearing copies of the Holy Qur’an in various European countries, noting that double standards are unacceptable regarding the freedom of speech.

Visibility dropped to 3km or less in Doha and some other places due to dust Wednesday, with conditions improving in the evening. Thursday's forecast says it will be hazy to misty in some places at first, followed by mild daytime conditions. Scattered clouds are also expected and and there is a chance of light rain in the north. The Qatar Met department has also said strong winds and high seas are expected in offshore areas Thursday. The wind speed may go up to 22 knots at times, with the sea level rising to 7ft. The temperature, meanwhile, is expected to range from 18-25C in Doha Thursday.