Education ministers from across the globe met at the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) 2013 in Doha, Qatar, to discuss best practices and the importance of promoting innovation in education on Tuesday. Chaired by the minister of education and higher education of Qatar, Mohammed Bin Abdul Wahed Ali Al Hammadi, the inaugural ministers session included 16 leading policymakers from territories including Japan, Nigeria, Cuba and the European Commission. The informal meeting was a transnational effort to share best practices in education from policymakers around the world who discussed a variety of ideas – from fostering innovation through curriculums, to innovative funding mechanisms. The session was hosted by the chairman of WISE, Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, who said: “WISE was established to bring education to the top of the global agenda as a key to building secure and thriving societies. This meeting, in which the education ministers discussed their ideas on innovative and effective policy-making, is a step toward achieving that goal.” He added: “WISE is a multisectoral platform where decision-makers interact directly with a great variety of education stakeholders, providing rich opportunities for partnerships with the goal of putting the best, most effective practices into action.” The “Ministers Session” took place on the opening day of fifth the annual thjree-day summit. The session provoked questions about how ministries of education from around the world have managed to make innovation a reality, whether the role of a policymaker is to implement policies developed to foster innovation or replicate best practices from the field, and how forums like WISE facilitate in the sharing of these practices. Qatar education minister, Mohammed Abdul Wahed Ali al Hammadi said: “The Ministers Session at WISE has provided us with a platform to discuss experiences from around the world, allowing us to explore new approaches and share different methods of working. In Qatar, we need to develop the education sector in the country in order to promote individual performance and productivity. Innovation in education is key to support the realization of Qatar’s overall national development goals and position Qatar as a leading knowledgeeconomy, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.” Androulla Vassiliou, European commissioner for education, culture, multilingualism and youth, who participated in the session, said: “Education is one of the European Union’s top political priorities and international collaboration forms an essential part of this. Europe must be open to the world. It is through education and culture that different peoples begin to understand each other and develop closer relationships.” Source: Education News