SHARJAH, 4th June, 2022 (WAM)

H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, witnessed on Saturday at the Sharjah Education Academy (SEA) the launch of the first educational forum of the Academy, which is held under the title “The future of education between opportunities and challenges”.

Sharjah Ruler was briefed on a number of innovative projects for students of the distinguished schools of Sharjah, Where the owners of the projects provided detailed explanations about their projects, and he listened to the solutions and innovations they offer supporting the scientific or educational system.

Then the activities of the forum began with a visual presentation on the progress of the Sharjah Education Academy and its various achievements, including pioneering programmes, activities and initiatives, in addition to the number of beneficiaries of the activities and the most prominent results.

Dr. Jenin Romano, Executive Director of the Sharjah Education Academy, delivered a speech stressing the importance of the first educational forum organised by the Academy, based on its important mission to qualify teachers and develop the educational system.

Dr. Romano addressed the forum programmes including workshops dealing with a number of important themes that contribute to the study of the educational environment and help prepare it for a better future.

Then Dr. Muhadtha Al Hashemi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Education Academy and Chairperson of the Sharjah Private Education Authority, delivered a speech addressing the experience of private education in the Emirate of Sharjah during the pandemic and working to shift towards sustainable education and towards schools that are more flexible and able to keep pace with all developments and changes.

Al Hashemi explained the stages that private schools have passed during the pandemic and the measures of adaptation and dealing with them, noting the stages of digital transformation that schools are going through during the crisis period, which is the same as that applied by the Emirate of Sharjah and contributed to successfully overcoming it.

During the inaugurating ceremony, Dr. Paul Lomayo, Senior Vice President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Development of Education, spoke about the history of the Carnegie Foundation in developing education by focusing on, developing and promoting innovative ideas, and gave a number of examples of the work of the Foundation that is interested in working on a wide range targeting the pillars of the educational process and its various aspects, such as insurance associations for teachers, medical education, special classifications carried out by the institution, scholarships, and the promotion of the role of advanced sciences to meet the challenges and developments of education.

Via video call from, Timothy Knowles, President of the Carnegie Endowment for the Development of Education, discussed the future of education and rebuilding it in the classroom, pointing to the importance of the role of parents in stimulating and improving the learning environment for children, as well as the role of teachers and educational leaders in improving teaching and learning processes.

Student Abdullah Al Kaabi from Victoria International School in Mleiha delivered a speech expressing his thanks and appreciation to the Ruler of Sharjah for his support of students and for providing the best schools and education in the Emirate of Sharjah.

More than 30 leading educational institutions and prestigious universities, including the University of Helsinki, Monash University, Harvard University, the International Baccalaureate, and school development institutions, including ACER, Cambridge, a group of distinguished schools in the Emirates, and more than 200 educational development experts and leaders participate in the forum.

During the forum ceremony, Sheikh Sultan inaugurated the Sharjah Educational Platform, which is the modern digital platform of the Sharjah Education Academy providing many educational advantages and characteristics in supporting digital transformation .

On the sidelines of the forum, Sheikh Sultan witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Sharjah Education Academy and the Carnegie Foundation for Education Development, signed by Dr. Muhadtha Al Hashemi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Education Academy, and Dr. Paul Lomayo, Senior Vice President of the Carnegie Corporation.

The forum was attended by Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology; Mohammed Obaid Al Zaabi, Head of the Protocol and Hospitality Department, and a number of educational officials, interested parties and participants.