Exploring the future of education at the Expo 2020 Dubai

DUBAI: Expo 2020 Dubai’s programming for International Day of Education on January 24 will bring together education experts, students and teachers to reimagine the future of education following the wide-scale disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The day will address the changes in education over the last two years, and encourage collaboration and the sharing of best practices for teaching in an era of digitalisation, while also exploring innovations brought about by disruptions to education worldwide. From showcasing cutting-edge technologies to ensuring equal opportunities in education, and mobilising global efforts, Expo’s celebration of the day aims to transform the dream of education for all into a meaningful reality with three event types: people-facing flagship; specialist; and Youth Circle.

Highlights will include welcome remarks from His Excellency Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, UAE Minister of Education, who will discuss the current trends, challenges and opportunities in education. The perspectives of students and their experiences during COVID-19 and beyond will also be shared, discussed with student and change advocate Adam El Rafey, moderated by Keishia Thorpe, winner of the Global Teacher Prize 2021.

The disruption caused by COVID-19 has allowed teachers, parents and students to rethink the concept of learning. In a session that brings together key stakeholders, the evolution of education and the classroom of 2050 will be reimagined. It will examine how, with technology stepping into the breach in a universe where knowledge is one click away, the role of the educator also needs to be transformed.

Lamya Butt, student and Founder & CEO of Resilient Together; Tannya Jajal, Chapter Lead, Women in Tech UAE; Tom Fletcher (virtual), Principal, Hertford College, University of Oxford; and Kiran Bir Sethi (virtual), Founder, Design for Change, will join a discussion moderated by Elisa Guerra, Finalist, Global Teacher Prize 2015 and 2016, and a member of the UNESCO Futures of Education International Commission.

In honour of Knowledge & Learning Week in December, master calligraphy artist Diaa Allam and a group of international students started work on a seven-metre by three-metre mural, which will be completed on International Day of Education. Allam and student artist Afreen Nizam Rasheed will share the key messages of the mural and reflect on the creation process.

The Expo 2020 Dubai site offers a wealth of opportunities for learning, with far-reaching and diverse programmes ranging from public-facing flagship events to raise awareness and galvanise action, to TED-style talks covering a myriad of topics for specialist audiences. Underpinned by the concepts of accessibility and inclusivity, the programme also features hybrid events, blending physical gatherings with a virtual component, enabling policy-makers, private-sector, civil-society actors and the public to come together, no matter where they are in the world.

The Programme for People and Planet is running across the entire six months of Expo 2020 Dubai, featuring 18 International Days and 10 Theme Weeks, each of which is exploring key issues of global significance.

Source: Expo 2020 Website