First World Innovation Summit for Education - WISE Held in Doha

Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser AL-MISSNED, Chair ofQatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, officiallyopened this morning, the premiere edition of the World Innovation Summit forEducation - WISE, an initiative of Qatar Foundation.

    Addressing 1,000 of the world's pre-eminent opinion leaders,Her Highness delivered her vision on education, the answer to the challengesposed today by globalization focusing on the theme of the Summit "GlobalEducation: Working Together for Sustainable Achievements":

    "Innovation in education, which is the focus of this Summitshould become an achievable and executable process. It should be at the heartof the education which is the force which exerts human energy and guides itwisely for the purpose of expanding human intelligence and creativity toserve the objective of just and equitable human societies.

    "Therefore this Summit requires us to debate deeply anddiscuss a series of issues at the core of the right to education in order todraft an agreement on which we can build our next steps", concluded HerHighness Sheikha Mozah.

    As Guest of Honour, Mrs Irina BOKOVA, newly appointed UNESCODirector-General, chose to address WISE worldwide community of opinionleaders and stakeholders, for her first official intervention abroad:

    Mrs Bokova explained that: "The world is undergoing a profoundand rapid transformation. The economic and financial crisis has broughteducation sharply into focus. Education is a lifetime pursuit and aninvestment for the future."

    Dr. Abdulla bin Ali AL-THANI, Chairman of WISE and QatarFoundation's Vice-President of Education, engaged WISE attendees to make themost of the unique dialogue opportunity that WISE brings. During his address,Dr. AL-THANI expressed hope for meaningful debates that will lead to globalcollaboration to help identify the strategic educational priorities for theupcoming years.

    Dr. Abdulla bin Ali AL-THANI explained: "We hope WISE willbecome a medium - a global education forum - where all actors can meet,reflect and consider, and ultimately enact them. Through this collaborativeprocess, we can identify major educational challenges and explore innovativeand sustainable ways to address them. The priorities identified over the nextthree days, will be formalised in a declaration, a universal call for action,to be announced at the end of the Summit."