Abu Dhabi: Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, would deliver a keynote speech on the first day of the Qudwa 2017 Global Teachers’ Forum, announced the Educational Affairs Office of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court on Saturday. Under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the event will be held on October 7 and 8 at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, with the participation of 900 education professionals from over 80 countries.
Ahead of the second edition of the forum themed ‘Teaching for the Future’, Shaikh Abdullah said: “The UAE spares no effort in helping its young people unlock their creative abilities and in empowering them to achieve their full potential so that they can lead their country towards a prosperous future for generations to come. The UAE is proud of its global reputation as a visionary nation and an incubator for future ideas aimed at developing human capabilities and building a society that is rich in knowledge, science and culture,” he said.
Renowned speakers, including several leading UAE officials, will highlight the country’s achievements in the education sector in line with the National Agenda of the UAE Vision 2021. On the first day, Hussain Ebrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, will deliver a special address on the country’s progress in developing its education system throughout its history.
A series of sessions titled ‘Meet the Mentor’ will host, among other eminent prominent personalities, Noora Bint Mohammad Al Kaabi, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs. Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of State for Tolerance, will discuss the role of teachers in formulating initiatives that enrich the UAE’s National Tolerance Programme.
On the second day, Jameela Salem Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Public Education, and Dr Ali Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge, will participate in a plenary session. Julia Gillard, chair of the Global Partnership for Education and former prime minister of Australia, and Dr Amal Bel Houl, community affairs adviser at the Watani Al Emarat Foundation, will also attend the session.
The list of international speakers includes Michael Horn, co-founder and Distinguished Fellow of Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, a US-based non-profit think tank; Ron Clark, founder of the pioneering Ron Clark Academy in the US; and Andreas Schleicher, director of the Directorate of Education and Skills at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), are also among the speakers on the second day.
Dalton McGuinty, former premier of the Canadian province of Ontario, and Haif Bannayan, CEO of the Queen Rania Teacher Academy, will attend ‘inspirational stories’ session. Adam Braun, CEO and co-founder of MissionU, a debt-free college alternative for the 21st century, and founder of Pencils of Promise; and Victor Ochen, founder of the African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET) and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, are the other speakers in the session. Dr Naif Al Mutawa, the founder of the Soor Centre for Professional Therapy and Assessment in Kuwait, award-winning serial entrepreneur and clinical psychologist, and Omar Samra, Egyptian adventurer, serial entrepreneur and UN Goodwill Ambassador, will also talk about how to inspire students.
Daniel Lerner, best-selling author and professor at New York University (NYU), and Dr Ramsey Musallam, science teacher at the Sonoma Academy in the US, will talk at the Masterclass session.
