- 2018’s keynote roster included leaders, educators and decision-makers from over 50 countries
- The greater importance of ethics in an era of digital education, emerged as key theme
- Microsoft’s education thought-leaders bring a message of collaborative learning and the pressing need for soft skills in the post-4thIndustrial Revolution job market
- 15 finalists announced in the Bett MEA Awards Shortlist, UAE leads with 8 finalists
Abu Dhabi: – Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Bett Middle East & Africa (MEA) 2018, a leading global education technology exhibition and congress series, today concluded the successful first day, with renowned speakers delivering inspiring talks from global organizations and regional governmental entities.
The two-day event, held under the theme: ‘Educating for Success in the 4th Industrial Revolution’ is being hosted in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), as well as Microsoft, Bett’s worldwide partner.
During his welcoming speech to a room full of attendees and delegates at the summit, His Excellency Dr. Ali Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) said: “The very nature of this meeting carries with it a new vision and new ideas. I aspire that BETT MEA 2018 will help create a platform for educators and experts to share ideas and a solid vision. I encourage all participants to indulge in an interactive meeting with the different stakeholders present, and to think out of the box, with emphasis on the 4th Industrial Revolution and a developed education system.
“We need to keep up with a rapidly changing world, with new goals and new objectives, which is the nature of knowledge, and helps encourage everyone to work on continuous progress, while keeping up with change and speed. I look forward to witnessing brainstorming sessions during this conference, ones that will help benefit the overall education system across the world and will lead to ongoing success.”
Commenting on this year’s conference, Sonal Ghelani, Bett MEA & Asia Event Director, said: “The UAE has always taken pride in delivering inspirational educational curricula that are centred around excellence, innovation and progression. Bett underpins the nation’s ambitious vision to become the leading education destination in the world, as outlined in the UAE Centennial Plan 2071. We cannot think of a better location to host the first MEA regional Bett series that aims to foster dialogue not only between the UAE and Middle East, but also integrates African nations to knowledge-share and demonstrate a commitment to the leaders of tomorrow. This year’s event is bolder in both ambition and scale.”
Alongside the fascinating symposiums that had over 1200 visitors in the first half of day one, the Bett MEA Expo showcased over 100 transformative tools and technologies set to revolutionise the learning environment through a people-based approach. The ‘Learn Live’ theatre featured live applications of these new innovative technologies, including; Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence. Elsewhere, the 2018 ‘Tech Talks’ stage highlighted how the gamification of lessons can deliver a more immersive education for students.
Anthony Salcito, Worldwide Education Vice President, Microsoft, in his keynote addressed how nations should embrace a growth mindset to have a more impactful educational transformation. With the change in the modern workplace, learning needed to make that change and is blurring the spectrum between the physical and digital in the “phigital” age; where the physical and the digital worlds integrate.
“New approaches to learning, from mixed-reality solutions to hands-on lesson plans, provide students with the rich, immersive, collaborative experiences they need to ignite their innate curiosity and creativity,” Said Ahmed Ameen Ashour, Education Director, Microsoft Gulf. Microsoft has long been committed to empower every student to achieve more and prepare our young people for the digital future they face. Our continued efforts will ensure they are equipped with the right skills to create the world of tomorrow. Our Presence at BETT MEA for the third consecutive year, reiterates our commitment to continue driving important discussions between policymakers, school leaders and educators in the region. Together we aim to discover the joint initiatives required to deliver truly student-centric approaches to education and underpin future employability and economic growth.”
Other notable and influential figures across the education industry who spoke at the Forum included:
- E. Hussain Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, Ministry of Education (UAE)
- Khalifa Ali Al Suwaidi, Representative for the Board of Trustees, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished Academic Performance – UAE
- Philippe Maigrot, Solution Advocate, Lenono MEA – UAE
- Chalapathy Neti, Vice President IBM Watson Education – USA
Bett MEA Awards Shortlist
The Bett MEA Awards celebrate and reward the creativity, innovation and leadership found throughout the Middle East and Africa’s education sector. All of the winning submissions will be awarded during the Bett Middle East Gala Dinner on 23 April 2018.
For 2018 the Bett MEA Award categories were revamped to feature five key areas for teaching best practice and products to shine: Leadership K12, Leadership HE, GCC Teacher, Innovation Individual and Innovation Company. UAE leads the shortlist with 8 finalists while Saudi Arabia has two, the only other country to have multiple finalists.
The award entries were judged by a prestigious, independent panel of education thought leaders from across the Middle East & Africa region. Celebrating the boldest solutions, the bravest institutions and the best projects shaping the region’s education landscape, the shortlist is comprised of:
Leadership K12 Shortlist:
- Mr. Iain Colledge, Principal, Raha International School – UAE
- Dr. Yousef Alohali, CEO, Tatweer Educational Technologies – Saudi Arabia
- GEMS: Innovation Research and Development Department – UAE
Leadership HE Shortlist:
- Mr. Arpan Stephen, eLearning Specialist, Arabian Gulf University – Bahrain
- Ms. Heba El Hadary, Skills Coordinator - English Foundation Unit, Gulf University for Science and Technology – Kuwait
GCC Teacher Shortlist:
- Leena Maniyath, Sunrise English Private School – UAE
- Dororthy Davis, ADEK – UAE
- Nouf Arar, Malham Elementary School – Saudi Arabia
Innovation Individual Shortlist:
- Mansoor Alrazooqi, Director, VTC – UAE
- Matt Harris, Deputy Head for Learning Technology, British School Jakarta – Indonesia
- Steve Bambury, Head of Digital Learning and Innovation, JESS Dubai – UAE
Innovation Company Shortlist:
- Etihad Innovation – UAE
- Kortext – UK
- Claned Group Ltd – Finland
- Nexquare – UAE
For further information, please visit: https://mea.bettshow.com/
To register: https://mea.bettshow.com//payment/select-your-ticket
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About Bett
Bett is the global meeting place for the education technology community. A trusted brand with more than 30 years of heritage, Bett is now a series of world class events promoting the discovery of technology and knowledge to enhance lifelong learning. The series covers events in UK, Brazil, Middle East & Africa, Asia and Latin America. It attracts almost 60,000 educators, leaders and practitioners alongside more than 1,200 technology providers from around the globe. Bett is an Ascential brand.
About the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge
The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge was established with reference to the Amiri decree issued in September 2017, to change the name of the Abu Dhabi Education Council to the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK).
ADEK’s main role is to sustain Abu Dhabi’s leading position as a socio-economic hub with emphasis on nurturing future leaders via a cutting-edge national education curriculum which incorporates high quality learning outcomes, while promoting a culture of creativity, sustainability, and excellence, with focus on developing human, social and economic capabilities.
About Ascential
Ascential plc is a leading international media company that informs and connects business professionals in 150 countries through market-leading Exhibitions, Festivals, and Information Services. Ascential powers the prestigious Cannes Lions Festival for the branded communications industry, the world’s premier payments and financial services congress Money20/20, Spring Fair/Autumn Fair, the global fashion trend forecasting service WGSN and environmental risk data business Groundsure. 23 of Ascential’s 32 product lines are marketing leading and occupy number one positions. Ascential exists to provide our customers with world class content and connections empowering their businesses to be the best informed and best connected. Our products enable focus, growth and value. www.Ascential.com
For press enquiries, please contact:
Hadeel Tayah (on behalf of Bett MEA)
Edelman Middle East
+971 54 309 9228
© Press Release 2018
