Education Affairs Office announces local and international partners

The Education Affairs Office of the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi has announced the list of partners of the second edition of the global teachers’ forum "Qudwa 2017", held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

On a global level, the Office is collaborating with several Strategic Partners such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD, and the Varkey Foundation, as well as Knowledge Partners including Teach for All, Google for Education, Edraak, an initiative of the Queen Rania Foundation, QRF, Microsoft, McKinsey and Company, and Arc Skills.

Local strategic partners include the UAE Ministry of Education, Abu Dhabi Education Council, ADEC, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, KHDA, the Sharjah Education Council, SEC, and the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, ACTVET.

Commenting on the announcement, Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, said, "Qudwa 2017 will shed light on the critical role teachers play in the economic, cultural and social development of our nation. The forum will focus on connecting teachers with their peers from around the world, to share knowledge and insight that will both empower and inspire their development. We look forward to the outcomes of Qudwa 2017, which we believe will help advance and elevate the teaching profession, not only in the UAE but in the region and around the world."

Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Department of Education and Knowledge, ADEK, said, "The agenda of the forum mirrors the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which consider teachers to be national treasures, possessing great honesty and a noble mission. We cherish their central role in building minds and preparing future generations."

"This year’s forum is of great importance, especially since at the beginning of this new academic year, we embarked on the implementation of a unified national educational system that will enhance the development process and serve to fulfil the future strategy of the UAE. This second edition of Qudwa will inspire and motivate each teacher to develop tools for transferring knowledge and building minds and talents of the future generation," he added.

Mubarak Saeed Al Shamsi, Director-General of ACTVET, said, "Our institute applies an advanced and flexible strategy in line with the directives of the leadership of the UAE. The education sector is witnessing many rapid developments regarding increasing the number of specialisations and techniques used to train teachers and to provide students with the type of knowledge that will be critical to future success." He highlighted the diversity of disciplines at ACTEVET’s secondary and postsecondary institutions, including Abu Dhabi Polytechnic, Fatima College of Health Sciences, Technical Secondary Schools, Applied Technology Secondary Schools, and the Center for Education and Professional Development.

"The ICT revolution has altered job markets, and intensified the demand on educational systems to adapt to the required technology competencies of future jobs," Al Shamsi said, adding that the significance of Qudwa 2017 is in drawing the link between teachers, teaching for tomorrow, and the technology-focused development of societies and economies.

Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Director-General KHDA, expressed his optimism for achieving positive results from the global forum's agenda. He added, "The UAE’s experience in education has shown that competition between public and private schools to achieve excellence benefits students and societies at large. This healthy competition typically leads to progress and enhancement of the education ecosystem in both sectors, allowing outcomes to meet the social, economic and cultural needs of our country."

He explained that the Qudwa 2017 forum provides a unique dimension to this process of excellence by placing the teacher at the centre of the equation. "Teachers are the key element in determining the success and excellence of any educational institution. We hope that Qudwa will continue to provide new experiences and levels of expertise to teachers in the UAE and to position our nation at the forefront of other countries committed to building their development on a sustainable basis," Dr. Al Karam continued.

The list of global Strategic Partners includes the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD, which cooperated with the Education Affairs Office on the development of some of the forum’s sessions and on aligning them with international education issues and data.

Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills, and Special Advisor on Education Policy to the Secretary-General at the OECD said, "The OECD is very pleased to be a Knowledge Partner of the Qudwa 2017 global teachers’ forum. Our international data on education not only shows what’s happening today but also, how teachers, with commitment and passion, can improve both teaching and learning for tomorrow."

Varkey Foundation, a non-profit humanitarian organisation that designs programs to improve the quality of education, is another global Strategic Partner that is providing on-going support to Qudwa 2017 by contributing to the programme and by ensuring the active participation of members of the Varkey Teachers Ambassadors Programme.

The Education Affairs Office also collaborated with Teach For All, a global network of over 40 independent organisations that help children internationally to receive their right in early education. Through its partnership with Qudwa 2017, teachers of Teach For All, from all around the world, will participate in key sessions of the programme.

Google for Education is participating in the forum to highlight the broad knowledge capabilities that are powered by the internet and the digital landscape, the importance of teachers’ engagement with this landscape, and the need for academic institutions from different backgrounds to communicate and exchange expertise.

Knowledge Partners also include Edraak, an initiative of the Queen Rania Foundation, QRF, and an extensive open online course, MOOC, platform, as well as Arc Skills which features industry experts who help develop skills that are needed by teachers and students in the 21st century. Additionally, McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm, with a commitment to helping educational systems and providers to improve outcomes for millions of students globally is also a Qudwa 2017 Knowledge Partner.

Mithun Kamat, CEO of Arc Skills said, "Technology and globalisation have enabled new opportunities to help new generations make a tangible difference in their communities. What is needed for this generation to be equipped to overcome such challenges is education. We need to develop skills to help people solve problems, be creative, enjoy critical thinking and leadership, and have personal characteristics such as confidence, mercy and compassion from an early age."

The Education Affairs Office has also partnered with Abu Dhabi Media, ADM, as a national Media Partner, Sky News Arabia as a regional Media Partner, and CNN as a global Media Partner.

Ali bin Tamim, Director-General of Abu Dhabi Media said, "We are proud to partner with this large-scale event dedicated to developing the future of education. The forum carries many noble values on top of them is serving as a platform to develop and build generations of well-educated youth and prepare them to face the challenges posed by the future. Participating in Qudwa 2017 is aligned with our social responsibility as a national media organisation towards delivering the messages of the forum to all segments of the society."

Nart Bouran, Chief Executive Officer and Head of News at Sky News Arabia said, "We are delighted to join forces with the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Prince Court as a regional Media Partner of the Qudwa 2017 forum. It is a great opportunity for us to play a role in educating the public about how education can be a pillar in developing nations. It is through exchanging the best practices in education across the region and the world, and highlighting the significant role of teachers in driving change, that we could transform our societies to become more innovative and reinforce moral and ethical values."

He added, "Media is a key partner to the educational framework in general, and a supporter of educational institutions in their efforts to spread knowledge. We at Sky News Arabia are committed to disseminating useful and enlightening ideas which will contribute to the making of the future of humanity."

Becky Anderson, Managing Editor and Anchor at CNN Abu Dhabi said, "Education is a matter of global importance, it can increase social mobility, foster democracy and be transformative, particularly in developing countries. It is a subject important to CNN editorially and something that I am passionate about. Qudwa 2017 is an incredibly worthwhile initiative from the Education Affairs Office of Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi. I am personally looking forward to being involved and am expecting a high level of discussion and debate."