DUBAI – Innovation will play a critical role in enabling the education system in the Gulf to make significant contributions to the development of the region as a whole, Hussain Bin Ebrahim Al Hammadi, UAE Minister of Education, said at a press conference on Wednesday. Speaking to formally announce the launch of the 8th edition of the Global Education Forum (GEF) and the Global Educational Supplies and Solutions (GESS) Dubai, Al Hammadi said the Ministry of Education has established a new plan for the development of education over the next six years (from 2015 to 2021), to develop generations of scientists as well as creators and innovators. Al Hammadi also announced that this year's GEF and GESS Dubai are being held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. He further said the outcomes of the recent Government Summit and its wise leadership, in respect to education, particularly the education initiatives announced at the Summit with the intent to promote and encourage innovation and creativity and as well as engaging in technological advancement, including development of robotic advancement alongside artificial intelligence, have raised expectations and the results of these initiatives are to be seen at the Global Education Forum. In keeping with the UAE government's increasing focus on innovation, GESS Dubai has put a special emphasis showcasing the latest practices and technologies and how these can be harnessed to raise the educational quality standards. “The great thing about GESS Dubai is that it brings all of the leading education companies together so it means that educationalists can attend the event and see, touch and talk to these companies and find out which one is best suited for their institution,” said Sharief Fahmy, CEO, F&E Group, organizers of GEF and GESS scheduled to take place on Feb. 24-26, 2015 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. According to Fahmy, this year's conference will highlight some of the more recent advances in education, including an interactive showcase of the latest educational innovations, live demonstrations of the applications of 3D technologies relevant to the educational sector, the LEGO Innovation Studio, as well Edutech's STEM Studio which will put the spotlight on cutting-edge products and solutions that modernizing learning in classrooms around the world. In the dedicated Digital Education Space at the conference floor, GESS Dubai will host leading international experts who will share insights on the latest advances in digital education and how apps and other technology tools can be harnessed towards better teaching and learning in classrooms. The latest market research on creativity and innovation in the regional education system will also presented by Dr. Ayoub Kazim, Managing Director, Education Cluster of TECOM Investments who will share insights on how educational institutions can ensure that creativity and innovation in the academe can continue through the workplace, as well as how precisely innovative thinking can impact social and economic growth. A dedicated workshop on New Technologies in Education will show how the latest innovations in science and technology are contributing to education, through live experiments in physics, biology, home automation and multiple other areas. The purpose of these hands on sessions is to show the immediate and positive technology contributions and techniques to deal with and resolve real-life issues that might arise and cascade the learning and adoption of new skills in classrooms. All in all, there will be over 200 sessions and over 100 speakers discussing the developments, innovations and concerns facing the education sector in the region and the rest of the world over the three day event. GESS and GEF are free to attend for the public, while educators visiting the show are ensured of gaining CPD credits that they can use for professional career advancement. — SG
