The UAE can be a global force for good, education experts gathered at the ongoing GESS Dubai conference and exhibition say. In his keynote speech, Hussein Al Hammadi, Minister of Education for the UAE, said the Emirates is putting a strong emphasis on the overall development of students which includes improving their academic competency on the one hand, while also enabling them to develop core values that will empower them to contribute positively to society, both locally and in the wider global society. "The UAE is continuing to strengthen its foundation for future growth with new ways of learning, modernizing the way teachers share knowledge and skills while also enabling students to become competitive with positive values that will make them a force for good," the minister added. The Ministry's approach to comprehensive educational development has led to curriculum changes that strongly reflect local culture, while also incorporating international experiences; broader and more significant training exposure for teachers and school leaders through the VIP Leadership Institute that is being launched for the first time in GESS Dubai and the Global Education Forum. Systemic transformation The future of learning, according to another keynote speaker Graham Brown-Martin, would require an enhancement of an education system dictated by assessment and compliance. "The jobs of the future are the ones that machines can't do and yet our education systems have not progressed accordingly," he further said. Brown-Martin remarked that children, especially in developing societies, must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to reimagine society and meet the challenges of their generation which include population explosion, climate change, antibiotic resistance, inequality and rapid ageing, among others. The UAE has also been focusing its efforts on upgrading its curriculum through STEM, an innovation that integrates science, technology, engineering and math into one powerful learning experience. At GESS Dubai, STEM RevolutionTM announced plans to expand the operations of its highly innovative STEM Bus Mobile LabTM, to help schools develop their long term STEM strategy. Designed by Stanford and MIT PhD's, each STEM Bus welcomes attendees to come on board and experience high-tech educational stations - demonstrating how technology can be used to engage students and be used in the classroom. "The STEM Bus Mobile Lab is a signature offering for STEM Revolution," said Dr. Lorna Finman, founder and CEO of STEM Revolution. She further notes "Over 20 hands-on, interactive exhibits are at the heart of the STEM Bus Mobile Lab experience. These feature the latest technology including video-game programming, robotics, biotech, virtual reality and circuitry activities - helping to make STEM learning fun for all students." GESS Dubai is ongoing until March 16, 2017 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, and is free to attend for the public. Education professionals can get credits for CPD-certified sessions as part of the more than 200 workshops and presentations taking place during the event.
