WISE Joins Panel on Innovation and Technology in Paris

The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), recently participated in a panel discussion examining the role of innovation and technology in education. The event was hosted by the International Economic Forum of the Americas (IEFA) at its inaugural Conference of Paris, under the title: ‘Reshaping Globalization, Managing Disruption’.

Stavros N. Yiannouka, CEO, WISE, spoke on the panel, titled ‘Innovation and Technology: Fostering Inclusive Growth’, which was moderated by Andrew W. Wyckoff, Director for Science, Technology and Innovation, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Also participating were Ophra Rebière, Vice President and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Sanofi; Louis Audet, President and CEO, Cogeco Inc. and Cogeco Communications; Bernard Spitz, President, French Insurance Federation and President, International and Europe, Mouvement des Entreprises de France.

The panelists discussed how the rapid spread of innovative technologies in a wide range of sectors has led to a dramatic increase in highly specialized knowledge, creating more complex technical and economic interstate relations. They considered the pressure in the private sector to create a culture of innovation, and ways to ensure equitable global access to the most innovative technologies. The panelists also explored how to avoid creating technological gaps among countries at different stages of their development.

Mr. Yiannouka reminded the delegates of the importance of reviving the teaching of reason: “We need an education that teaches us how to think and how to reason. We need to acknowledge that the search for the truth involves competing ideas; the best way to resolve that competition of ideas is through reasoned discourse and through listening to each other. We need to assert the ethical values on which a good education is founded.”

He added: “Clearly there is work to be done. I don't fully buy the skills gap story; I think to a certain extent the private sector wants to shift the responsibility to train people for work onto the public education system. I believe they should be doing a lot of that.”

The IEFA’s conferences bring together senior government leaders and heads of state, specialists, union leaders, representatives of private and public sectors, academics, and civil society to discuss issues, share experiences, and provide access to information. The IEFA calls for open and unrestricted dialogue on the complex issues of the globalization process, focusing on the issue of widening inequality. The Conference of Paris considers the role of Europe, and the need for a globalization that is more inclusive, more balanced, and more humane.

WISE was established in 2009 under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation. Its participation in the Paris event, in line with QF’s ethos of inspiring positive change in local communities and beyond, aims to help build the future of education.