UAE. The UAE has a unique opportunity to take advantage of advances in technology to further its educational goals, HE Humaid Moh’d Al Qutami, the UAE Minister of Education, told delegates to the fifth annual Global Education Forum (GEF), which got underway in Dubai yesterday.

Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and in partnership of the Minister of Education, The Forum gathers together leading global experts in education to discuss the core theme:  “Teaching and Learning in the Era of Knowledge and Technology”.

In his opening keynote address, delivered to a packed auditorium at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the Minister said: “Education helps build a better future for the individual, the society and humanity in general. It is also one of the crucial pillars of building human capital and the key to development.
“Innovation has become a platform for quality education that is able to respond to challenges, whereas technology is the distinct intelligent method to achieve strategic objectives.”

He said that the UAE had a uniquely strong technology infrastructure, which is already being harnessed to improve education standards throughout the country.

“Our nation is considered one of the first to enable the use of information technology and modern means of telecommunication in its public and private institutions and sectors,” he said.  “One of the UAE’s priorities is education; therefore it facilitates the use of high quality educational services based on the best scholastic practices and modern technology.”

Over the three-day event, which is held alongside Gulf Educational Supplies and Solutions (GESS), the Middle East’s largest education exhibition, more than 100 sector experts from around the world will deliver lectures, hold teacher training workshops and take part in debates and panels on the key trends shaping education today. As well as the UAE Ministry of Education, representatives from the education ministries of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman will be in attendance.

Mobile learning expert Geoff Stead, Head of Innovation at Tribal Group, the UK’s leading education services company, and a keynote speaker at GEF, said: “Mobile technology is already transforming our lives, reshaping how we search for information, and helping us learn about the world around us. Now is the time to take those lessons into the classroom, and use the best possible tools to support teaching and learning.
 
“GEF represents an excellent opportunity for education leaders in the UAE and wider region to explore the latest advances in learning technology, to help shape the future education strategies that will truly prepare students for the future.”

The Global Education Forum and GESS runs until Thursday, March 1 at Halls 1 and 2 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, with doors opening at 10am.

About GESS and GEF         
Supported by the UAE Ministry of Education, Gulf Educational Supplies & Solutions (GESS) and Global Education Forum (GEF) are the region’s only exhibition and conference dedicated to the entire spectrum of educational supplies and solutions. With a wide range of products, live demonstrations and a comprehensive 3-day conference programme, there is no better place to see the latest education technologies and solutions in action.

GESS 2012 is taking place from 28 February to 1 March 2012 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

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