Doha: The 15 finalists for the 2016 World Innovation Summit for Education (Wise) Awards in Qatar have been named.
The awards are designed to identify and promote the most innovative and effective approaches to key global education challenges and help to build a network of change-makers to inspire others around the world.
Selected by a pre-jury of international education experts, the 2016 Wise Awards finalists offer creative solutions in access, quality education, the teaching of Stem – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – and entrepreneurial skills. Together, they address a wide range of issues that represent common global challenges.
This year’s projects are Geekie,Ideas Box, Sports for Sharing, Smart Robot Coding School, Glowork, Tara Akshar Literacy Programme, Lights for Learning, Partners for Possibility, Little Ripples, Jump Math, Youth for Technology Academy, Sonidos de la Tierra, 1Kgbox, Education for Growth and Value Creation in Lebanon, and From Puppets to Empowerment.
The Wise Awards finalist projects were selected according to strict criteria requiring them to demonstrate innovative thinking and a concrete, positive impact on their communities, as well as the potential to be replicated in other contexts and regions.
The Wise Awards jury will determine the six winners who will be announced in September. In addition to publicity and networking opportunities, each winning project will receive $20,000.
The pre-jury included Kamel Braham, Programme Leader at the World Bank Human Development Programme for the Maghreb; Dr Rajika Bhandari, Director at the IIE Centre for Academic Mobility Research, USA; Dr Joyce Akumaa Dongotey-Padi, the Executive Director of Mama Zimbi Foundation, a 2009 Wise Awards winner from Ghana; Adel Boseli, Head of Incubation Department, Qatar Business Incubation Centre; Dr Rana Dajani, Founder and Director, We Love Reading, and Associate Professor, the Hashemite University, who is a 2014 Wise Awards winner, Jordan; Professor Sara de Freitas, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Learning and Teaching, Murdoch University, United Kingdom; Xueqin Jiang, Deputy Principal, Tsinghua International School, China; Sheetal Mehta, Trustee and Executive Director of K.C. Mahindra Education Trust (KCMET); Anna Penido, Director, Inspirare Institute, Brazil; Gabriel Sanchez Zinny, Founder and CEO, Kuepa, USA/Argentina; and Dr Florence Tobo Lobé the Founder and President of the Rubisadt Foundation in Cameroon.
Wise, established by Qatar Foundation in 2009, is chaired by Shaikha Mouza Bint Nasser.
