Abu Dhabi: The fifth annual education conference will be held in the capital on September 23-24, the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) announced on Monday during a press conference held in Abu Dhabi.

The conference will be held under the patronage of General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and president of ECSSR.

The conference, which will be titled “Education and Educators: Creating a Culture of Excellence in the Classroom”, will comprise four panels, each presenting research papers by prominent education experts from all over the world at the ECSSR.

“The conference aims to create a culture of distinction, creativity and innovation among students. It will also review educational polices, identify and develop methods and mechanisms to improve the performance of teachers across the UAE,” Dr Jamal Sanad Al Suwaidi, director-general of the ECSSR, said.

The two-day conference will also discuss social, economic, and culture factors that discourage qualified graduates from seeking a career in education and will present solutions based both on international experiences in this respect and the requirements of the local environment.

“This year’s conference will focus more on educators rather than students. This year will also witness a great international participation from around seven countries — Finland, Korea, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and others,” Ahmad Al Astad, deputy director general for community services at ECSSR, told Gulf News.

The conference will afford teachers an opportunity to share their experiences and present their views regarding the pre- and in-service training programmes needed to develop their performance and help them keep pace with the latest developments in the field.

“Teachers constitute the cornerstone of the educational process. A culture of educational distinction can only be achieved by skilful, dedicated teachers who are committed to delivering an educational process that reflects the aspirations and strategic objectives of the state, creating a generation of students equipped with the knowledge, skills, and creativity that will enable them to ensure the nation’s future success,” said Dr Mohammad Bin Abdulla Zughaibi, CEO of Tatweer Company for Education Services in Saudi Arabia, who will be sharing his country’s experience in the conference.

Zayed University, UAE University, Khalifa University and Sharjah University will also take part in the conference.