Manama: All higher educational institutions should learn to operate in an international context, and higher education must develop new skills for the 21st century, a seminar in Qatar has recommended.
Holding its first seminar in Doha, the World Innovation Summit for Education (Wise) Institute for Education Leadership said that managing information and technology should figure high in the skills to be developed in universities keen on keeping pace with fast global developments.
Discussion on skills required by graduates in 2025, top-level decision-making, governments and governance, and the role of the university and its students in world society topped the seminar's networking programme.
According to the 12 leaders of higher education establishments in nine developing countries at the seminar, the way generic characteristics of successful leaders are exercised must take account of cultural variations.
"The first event organised by the Wise Institute for Education Leadership in Doha was a unique opportunity for educational leaders from different parts of the world to share ideas and experiences," Abdullah Bin Ali Al Thani, Chairman of Wise, Qatar Foundation, said.
"For the participants, it clearly helped develop new approaches to tackling daily challenges and preparing for the tasks and responsibilities that lie ahead. For Wise, it represents another highly promising context for international collaboration in education," he said.
The Wise Institute for Education Leadership said that one of its objectives was to assist in the development of leadership skills, especially for people recently appointed to senior positions in developing countries.
