Wise Announces Launch of ‘Doha Learning Days’, Experiential Education Festival, For The First Time In Qatar

The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), has announced Doha Learning Days (DLD), the country’s first experiential learning festival, from 14 to 19 November in Education City. Designed to be a space for incubation and a catalyst for innovation in education, the DLD festival will offer the community unique opportunities for active learning, experiential learning and reflection ahead of the global Summit that follows a week later.

In collaboration with more than 50 local partners and innovators, DLD is being held in the lead up to the WISE Summit, and will include activities that range from coding labs, wellness master classes, sensorial experiences, drumming, photography exhibitions and workshops, leadership master classes, hands-on science classes, to LEGO Serious Play sessions, and many more.

“At WISE, we focus on dialogue and conversation amongst a global community of educators, and this year we’re reflecting a commitment to take the Summit into the heart of our diverse community where our learners and educators can gain from our efforts and those of our partners to link education and innovation to help us build thriving societies.”, said Stavros N. Yiannouka, WISE CEO, in his opening remarks at a press conference, held today, where the festival was announced.

Yiannouka discussed the overall vision of WISE and acknowledged the role initiatives such as DLD play in the educational enrichment of the community. He said, “We are very proud and extremely grateful to have like-minded partners by our side for this year’s WISE Summit and Doha Learning Days.”

In his remarks, Dr. Ibrahim Al-Naimi, Undersecretary, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, emphasized the importance the Ministry places on partnerships with initiatives such as WISE: “The WISE Summit reflects the importance that our wise leadership places on education, and its persistent commitment to its development by welcoming world-class experiences and transferring them to our schools, and within our classrooms. This enhances our utilization of interdisciplinary methodologies and improves our educational outcomes, enabling our students to compete at international universities, thereby contributing to our human development pillar and the realization of the Qatar National Vision 2030.”

In keeping with the importance WISE places on partnering with key local stakeholders on initiatives such as DLD and achieving the organization’s overall mandate, the press conference included a panel discussion with its partner organizations; ExxonMobil, Qatar Rail, and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

The discussions highlighted the wide range of unique activities on offer at DLD and their significance for every member of the local community; from mothers, to athletes, to entrepreneurs, and university students.

Mohammed Al Hashimi, Senior Advisor Government and Public Affairs, ExxonMobil Qatar, confirmed the company’s commitment to the local community, with a focus on educational initiatives and how the local community will benefit from DLD: “ExxonMobil Qatar is pleased to support the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) 2019 and to be the main sponsor of its education festival - Doha Learning Days.” Al Hashimi added: “Doha Learning Days is an important event that presents the local community with an exciting opportunity to engage in innovative and meaningful activities to help them explore education. Education is the fundamental building block of individual opportunity and economic growth - by supporting programs that improve teaching and learning in these key areas, we’re dedicated to making a difference in our children’s lives and their future.”

The partnership between WISE and ExxonMobil Qatar demonstrates the commitment they share to supporting the nation to achieve the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030 by focusing their efforts on its education system. ExxonMobil Qatar has a national plan in place to help advance education in Qatar – particularly in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), in collaboration with key community partners in Qatar.

For their part, Qatar Rail addressed their organization’s role in community education, and what Qatar Rail hopes to achieve by collaborating with WISE and supporting initiatives such as DLD. In his speech, Ajlan Eid Al Enazi, Chief of Strategy & Business Development of Qatar Rail, highlighted the company's role in educating the community, and what Qatar Rail hopes to achieve in cooperation with WISE and supporting initiatives such as Doha Learning Days: “We are committed to developing education in Qatar in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, in cooperation with leading educational institutions in the State of Qatar, which allows us to reach a wide segment of the student community. Qatar Rail aims to encourage students to be creative, innovative, and link theoretical concepts and general knowledge with the practical side. Through our endeavours, we seek to introduce students to the railway industry, which will pave the way to the future development of national capacities in this new area.”

For more information on the full program of events, please visit: https://www.wise-qatar.org/wise-2019/doha-learning-days/