Dubai: The first international principals’ get-together was hosted in Dubai last month by S P Jain School of Global Management under the theme ‘Reimagining Education in Disruptive Times’, discussing teaching and learning in today’s world and how the education system needs to evolve.
“With the rampant disruption of technologies in every sphere, reimagining education becomes crucial,” Nitish Jain, S P Jain’s president, said at the conference held on June 23 and 24 on the S P Jain Dubai Campus, bringing together the Indian International Teachers’ Association (IITA), and UAE school principals and educators from S P Jain.
He added that conferences which create meaningful conversations can radically change the future of education, preparing students with the right skills and competencies to thrive in a technologically complex world.
In the event’s keynote address, professor Christopher Abraham, chief executive officer, senior vice-president and head of Dubai campus, said: “This two-day conference has created a unique platform, using open forums, panel discussions and design thinking, to dialogue, debate and reflect on how the future of education can be addressed in a meaningful manner.
“What jobs and careers are we preparing our students for? The answer to this very critical question is quite challenging and perplexing in this era of technological disruptions. It is imperative for education leaders and academic institutions to address this question in the most meaningful manner.”
In a special address, Dr Nirkesh Sharma and Dr Divij Suri, founder national executive adviser, respectively, of IITA, both noted that the most important thing educators could do was to inspire young students.
Two interactive workshops were also held for the participants — one by professor Abraham on reimagining education 4.0 with design thinking and the other on emotional intelligence for 21st century learning and teaching.
The IITA members were then taken on a tour of the Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) office to learn about the unique education system of the UAE.
