DUBAI - RewirEd, the first of its kind global platform that seeks to reimagine the future of education, is set to host its flagship global education summit (RewirEd Summit) from 12th - 14th December 2021, during the Knowledge and Learning Week at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Led by Dubai Cares, in partnership with Expo 2020 Dubai and in close coordination with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC), and delivered in partnership with global stakeholders, the summit aims to be a catalyst in redefining education to ensure a future that is prosperous, sustainable, innovative and accessible to all.

Part of the broader RewirEd platform, which is set to attract around 2,000 participants, the RewirEd Summit, aims to collectively explore new approaches to education challenges and discuss a shared vision and concrete action plan to shape the future of education.

"The RewirEd Summit in Dubai promises to be the largest in-person global education gathering will offer all key stakeholders from around the world a strategic platform to rally for education," Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, CEO at Dubai Cares and Commissioner General for the Dubai Cares Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, said.

"Expo 2020 Dubai also provides us with a unique opportunity to have a global conversation on the future of education, especially given the education disruption we have witnessed during the past 15 months due to the pandemic," he noted, adding, that the summit will not only tackle current global education challenges but also explore entirely new approaches to rewire education, so that children and youth everywhere can receive an education fit for the future.

"The Summit reflects Dubai’s role as a bridge between cultures and a facilitator of global dialogue and knowledge exchange. Let’s work together as one united global community to reshape education by 2030," Dr. Al Gurg further stated.

"We have to be the first generation in history where every single child goes to school, but COVID-19 has set us back," Rt. Hon Gordon Brown, UN Special Envoy for Global Education and former Prime Minister of the UK, said, adding that it is time to develop not just some of the potential of some children, but all the potential of all children.

"The RewirEd Summit is going to make a huge difference and is a turning point for education," he went on to say.

"The global COVID-19 pandemic has deepened the global learning crisis and cast a spotlight on the digital divide and the skills gap that keep millions of young people from education, jobs and opportunities that they need," Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director at UNICEF, said. "We need to reimagine education and close these gaps and put digital solutions and skills in the hands of every child and young person, to help them and their economies recover." UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited and Dubai Cares are joining forces to rewire education and help young people access the skills and opportunities they need at the RewirEd Summit, she added.

Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director and Head of the Centre for the New Economy and Society at WEC, said, "Events like the RewirEd Summit are critically important because they create a vital space for innovative new approaches to education to emerge and for leaders to converge on shared solutions that leave no one behind." Over the course of the Summit, speakers will discuss three key specific themes including 'Youth, Skills and the Future of Work: What future skills do our youth need, and what opportunities do we have today to ensure equity in skills development in a post-COVID-19 world?'; 'Innovation in Education: How can we develop innovative and scalable solutions to ensure that children and young people globally can build strong foundations for lifelong learning and well-being?'; and 'Education Financing: How can we create new alliances amongst private and public sector partners along with financial institutions to build novel education financial infrastructures?'.

Key international organisations including UNICEF, UNESCO, UNHCR, the World Economic Forum (WEF), the Global Partnership for Education, Education Cannot Wait, the World Food Programme, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Bank and the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, have joined forces with the RewirEd Summit.

Registration for the Summit is now open by visiting: https://www.rewired2021.com/summit/

© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2021.