The 3rd Dr. Rajaram Jaipuria Memorial Lecture, to be held virtually on March 5, 2022, promises inspiring insights into a very pertinent topic: Building Strong And Resilient India Through Visionary Leadership. The lecture will be delivered by the event’s Chief Guest, Swami Swaroopananda, Global Head of Chinmaya Mission.

An initiative started in 2019 by Seth Anandram Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions, the lecture is an annual event to highlight the issues of national significance through addresses by eminent personalities who have left an indelible mark in shaping the path of India’s progress into the 21^st century.

The 1st Dr. Rajaram Jaipuria Memorial Lecture held on April 30, 2019, in New Delhi, was delivered by Mr. Venkaiah Naidu, the Hon’ble Vice President of India. Its topic was: Education, Entrepreneurship & Ethics. The 2nd lecture, held in the virtual mode on December 5, 2020, was delivered by Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Minister of Shipping, and the MSME, Govt of India. Its topic was very apt for the country that was overcoming the Covid pandemic: Role of Leadership In Turbulent Times.

About choosing the topic for the 3^rd Dr. Rajaram Jaipuria Memorial Lecture, Shishir Jaipuria, Chairman of Seth Anandram Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions, says, “We wanted to choose a topic that would be relevant to the present times and also resonate with the youth of India. We also wanted to choose an eminent personality who could connect with the masses and convey a message that’s inspiring, progressive, and visionary at the same time.”

The topic of the 3^rd Memorial Lecture, Building Strong And Resilient India Through Visionary Leadership, is especially pertinent in the context of India’s potential as an emerging superpower and becoming the Vishwa Guru in education. The session will be held on Saturday, March 5 between 4.30 PM to 5.30 PM, on the virtual platform www.jaipuriaevents.com. Swami Swaroopananda will be the event’s Chief Guest and will also deliver the lecture.

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Chinmaya Mission is dedicated to spreading the universal wisdom of Vedanta and teaching the practical means of personal transformation to individuals from any background As its Global Head, Swami Swaroopananda is an exemplary spiritual leader who is taking forward the legacy of his guru Swami Chinmayananda. He is also the Chancellor of Chinmaya University and Chair of Chinmaya International Residential School, one of India’s most respected boarding schools.  

Dr. Rajaram Jaipuria Memorial Lecture has been instituted in the memory of the late Dr. Rajaram Jaipuria, a noted philanthropist, industrialist, and educationist who has been instrumental in building the 76-year-old legacy of Seth Anandram Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions. The group is presently a conglomerate of 14 K-12 Schools, 5 Preschools, 2 management institutes, and a teachers' training academy.

The 3rd Dr. Rajaram Jaipuria Memorial Lecture is likely to be attended by 10,000 people. All are invited to attend it at www.jaipuriaevents.com

The last dast to participate in the 5th edition of Pariksha pe Charcha has been extended till 27th January 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi conceptualized a unique interactive program – Pariksha Pe Charcha wherein students, parents, teachers across the nation, and also from overseas interact with him to discuss and overcome the stress emerging out of examinations in order to celebrate life as an Utsav.

The format of this programme is proposed to be in online mode like in 2021. School students of classes 9 to 12, teachers, and parents shall be selected through an online competition. Registrations on https://innovateindia.mygov.in/ppc-2022/ are live from 28th December 2021 till 27th January 2022.

Image courtesy: mygov.in

Skill India with due support from the Directorate General of Training (DGT) and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is organizing a day-long “National Apprenticeship Mela” across the country in over 400 locations on October 4^th, 2021.

Under the initiative, the aim is to support the hiring of nearly one lakh apprentices and assist employers in tapping the right talent and develop it further with training and providing practical skillsets. The event is expected to witness participation from more than 2000 organisations operating in more than 30 sectors such as Power, Retail, Telecom, IT/ITeS, Electronics, Automotive, and more. In addition, the aspiring youth will have the opportunity to engage and select from more than 500+trades including Welder, Electrician, Housekeeper, Beautician, Mechanic, etc.

5^th to 12^thpass students, Skill Training Certificate holders, ITI students, Diploma holders, and graduates are eligible to apply at the Apprenticeship Mela. The candidates must carry three copies of resume, three copies of all the mark sheets and certificates (5^th to 12^th pass, Skill Training Certificate, Under Graduate and Graduate (BA, B.Com, B.Sc, etc.), Photo ID(Aadhar card/Driving License, etc.) and three passport size photographs at the respective venues.

Candidates can click on the link https://dgt.gov.in/appmela/ for more details with regard to where the mela is being held and for other details.

The National Policy of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, 2015 launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on July 15^th, 2015recognisesapprenticeship as a means to provide gainful employment to a skilled workforce with adequate compensation. MSDE has also taken several efforts to increase the number of apprentices hired by enterprises in the country. The aim is to fill the gap in supply and demand for a skilled workforce and meet the aspirations of the Indian youth through gaining on-the-job training and securing better opportunities for employment.

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Potential applicants will receive several benefits by attending the Apprenticeship Mela. They have a huge opportunity to get apprenticeships offered on the spot and receive direct industry exposure. Following, they will get a monthly stipend as per the Government standards for developing new skills, an opportunity to earn while they learn. The candidates will get certificates, recognized by National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), increasing the chances of their employability after the training.

Establishments participating in the Apprenticeship Melas get an opportunity to meet the potential apprentices at a common platform and select the candidates on the spot. In addition, even small-scale industries with minimum of four working members can also hire apprentices at the event.

This training is under the Apprentices Act, 1961. And support through National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme.

The training is provided as per the course curriculum designated by the DGT in the designated trades. An apprentice receives on-the-job training by the industry and a stipend. At the end of the training, the evaluation is done jointly by the Industry and the DGT. After completion of Apprenticeship Training, an evaluation through the All India Trade Test (AITT) for National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC) is conducted twice a year. AITT is a skill-oriented evaluation done by the Industry and DGT and it requires continuous practice, devotion, and hard work to succeed.

Apprenticeship Training is perceived as a critical scheme to develop industry with ready manpower by utilizing the existing training facilities in establishments. It is done through 22 Regional Directorates of Skill   Development & Entrepreneurship and 36 State Apprenticeship Advisers across the country. All 36 State Governments will organise Apprenticeship Mela on 04^th October 2021 in every district/region within their State for engagement of apprentices under the Apprentices Act, 1961.  This will bring an excellent opportunity for the engagement of apprentices in the establishment to facilitate the desired level of productivity vis-à-vis giving an opportunity to apprentices for exposure to actual job situations in the industry.

MSDE has brought significant reforms to the apprenticeship rules to drive greater participation in Apprenticeship training in the country. These reforms include:

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• The upper limit for engaging apprentices increased from 10% to 15%
• Size limit of an establishment with mandatory obligation to engage apprentices lowered from 40 to 30
• Payment of stipend for 1st year has been fixed rather than linking it to minimum wages, 10% to 15% hike in stipend for 2nd and 3rd year to apprentice
• Duration of apprenticeship training for Optional Trade can be from 6 months to 36 months
• The industry has an option to design and implement its own Apprenticeship training
• Under National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), the establishments/industry can get reimbursement up to 25% of the stipend paid to the apprentices.

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) successfully launched the ATL Space Challenge 2021 for all school students across the country.

The challenge has been designed for all the school students, mentors, and teachers across the country who not only are associated with schools having ATL labs but for all the non-ATL schools as well.

This is to ensure that students of classes 6 to 12 are given an open platform where they can innovate and enable themselves to solve digital age space technology problems. 

The ATL Space Challenge 2021 aligns with the World Space Week 2021 which is being observed from 4 to 10 October each year at the global level in order to celebrate the contributions of space science and technology.

Speaking during the official launch, Mission Director AIM Dr. Chintan Vaishnav said that the aim of this challenge is to enable innovation among young school students to create something in the space sector that will not only help them learn about space but create something that space programme can use itself.

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“We are envisioning that the young innovators across the country will learn and engage in creating new the space sector and develop solutions that might be further beneficial as well. We are grateful to ISRO and CBSE who have partnered with us to make it a great success. Students who secure top positions will be presented exciting prizes at the conclusion of the challenge,” he said.

He further mentioned that the ATL Space Challenge 2021 one-of-a-kind challenge for school students across India that aligns with this year’s theme of celebrating 75 years of India’s independence as “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”, an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of progressive India and the glorious history of its people, culture, and achievements.

The Space Challenge perfectly aligns with the objective of the nation-wide Mahotsav and supports the young innovators and introduces them to newer technologies and skills.

Director Capacity Building Programme office (ISRO) Dr. Sudhir Kumar expressed extreme joy in launching such a challenge for students. He said, “We take pride in collaborating with AIM & CBSE to launch this challenge where students can explore space with creative freedom. We are hoping to launch this challenge every year,” he asserted.

Chairman CBSE, Manoj Ahuja in his address said that ATL space challenge 2021 has a huge potential in terms of allowing the children to come up with ideas and having an environment where they can see their ideas turned into a reality through the ecosystem that AIM, ISRO & CBSE are providing through this challenge,” he said.

“I feel for the sake of the education sector and for the bigger arena of innovation and creativity among students, government organizations often need to come together” he added.

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Meanwhile, Students (from ATL and Non-ATL schools) can submit their entries be it a solution or an innovation in a team of up to three members. Teams must be aligned to one of the Challenge Themes under which the problems can be identified.

More details of the challenge and a selection of useful resources can be found here.

Students can create a solution that can be implemented and adopted leveraging technologies such as:

1. Explore Space

2. Reach Space

3. Inhabit Space

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4. Leverage Space

The application for the Space Challenge can be submitted on the AIM online portal. Each team based on their interest and understanding must select one problem which falls under any one of the Space Challenge themes.

Each unique solution must be submitted under one theme only. Submitting the same solution/ innovation under multiple themes will result in immediate disqualification.

The online application form submission will include- document submission (description of the innovation/ solution) and video submission (capturing a 360-degree view of the working prototype/ solution)

School Teachers, ATL In-Charges, and mentors have been advised to support the student teams. Individual member entry is not allowed. Also if the team size exceeds the 3 members limit, the entry/ submission will be immediately disqualified.

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Addressing the CII’s virtual special plenary session on ‘Job Creation & Entrepreneurship – Way Ahead for Livelihood Generation’, Union Education and Skill Development Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the economy is growing at a rapid pace and the future of India is looking very promising. He added that building skill capacity is a key to enhance productivity and drive the economy ahead.

Spoke about India’s growth outlook, roadmap to fortify the skills and education sector as outlined in the NEP and creating a future-ready workforce in my address on ‘Job Creation & Entrepreneurship at the #CIIAnnualSession2021 built on the theme #IndiaAt75. pic.twitter.com/3RxBfyvsW0

— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) August 12, 2021

Shri Pradhan highlighted that continuous efforts are being made to equip our youth with the 21^st Century Skills. He said that as envisioned in the National Education Policy (NEP) -2020, the Government is working to create greater synergy between education and skills for making a future-ready workforce. NEP will contribute in creating a robust education ecosystem and eventually facilitating economic growth, he added.

At CII’s virtual special plenary session on ‘Job Creation & Entrepreneurship’. #IndiaAt75 #CIIAnnualSession2021 https://t.co/QZepu67lI2

— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) August 12, 2021

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The Minister informed that Educational institutions and skill development centers have been affected during the pandemic but the Government ensured continuity of education by developing digital content at a large scale. He further informed that in the near future every village will be connected with high-speed Internet and these mass-scale digitization efforts are creating new education, skilling, and entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Shri Pradhan stressed that teachers play an important role in building society and technology is reshaping society. With the greater advent of technology and changing society, our teachers need to be re-skilled and up-skilled, he added.

Shri Pradhan urged that as we celebrate “Azaadi ka Amrut Mahotsav”, we must work together to make our youth future-ready who will lead India towards the goal of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. He stated that with this goal, India is going to witness rapid economic growth and will become the engine of global growth. The Minister called upon the industry to contribute to this mission.

Shri Ajay Shriram, Chairman and Senior MD, DCM Shriram Ltd, Shri Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, Dr. Gayathri Vasudevan, Pratham Education Foundation, and other industry experts attended the session.

Source: Press Information Bureau, Government of India | Ministry of Education

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New Delhi, 3 December:  The ‘State of the Education Report for India 2020: Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ’ was launched virtually today by UNESCO New Delhi, with over 400 attendees, including representatives from the government, civil society, academia, partners and youth.

The second edition of the State of Education Report focuses on technical and vocational education and training (TVET). India's often cited demographic dividend, the aspirations of its youth and the skill requirements of the growing economy – all hinge on a well-functioning TVET system for achieving an inclusive and equitable growth that will propel the country to the next phase of socio-economic development. The report aims to support the Government of India which has already announced skills development as a key national priority under the Skill India Mission.

“The Report identifies TVET as a key tool for recovery and rehabilitation through a rapid response system of skilling, upskilling and re-skilling. Despite the challenges, the global COVID-19 pandemic has provided an opportunity to expand the digitalization of vocational education and training ensuring the use of distance learning and digital tools”, said Eric Falt, UNESCO New Delhi Director.

“With the recent launch of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the relevance of this report is enhanced further as it provides useful inputs for implementing the ideas proposed in the 2020 NEP. I hope this publication will enable cross-learning among the multiple stakeholders of the vast vocational education ecosystem and adoption of best practices,” said Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Hon’ble Minister of Education, Government of India.

“Our Ministry is making continuous efforts to enable social justice and livelihoods through quality lifelong learning opportunities for all. This report, I am sure will provide useful guidance and promising practices towards our endeavour and ongoing efforts towards the achievement of the Skill India mission”, said Shri Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India.

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As a technical and financial partner to UNESCO’s TVET State of the Education Report 2020, the American India Foundation aims to build upon its strong legacy of education and livelihood programmes for India’s youth and women, through remote learning and virtual skilling methods, thereby aligning with the National Education Policy 2020. A rapidly evolving employment landscape, brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, has necessitated that skilling is reoriented towards the needs of the hour”, said Mathew Joseph, AIF’s India Country Director. 

With an in-depth analysis of the current state of TVET in India highlighting next practices and recommendations, the report aims to serve as a reference tool for enhancing and influencing the policies and programs related to skills development in India. It can be used by TVET practitioners, policymakers, private sector and donor agencies for planning future engagements in the TVET sector in India.

India is at an exciting stage today, having made considerable progress towards its goal of creating a skilled workforce of 110 million people by 2022, as stated in the  National Policy of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (NPSDE), released in 2015 [NPSDE 2015]. It is presently training 10 million¹ youth annually through the many schemes that are ongoing. 

The Report provides an overview of the present capacity for TVET provision through short-term and long-term courses, by the state as well as non-state actors, and also through educational institutions such as schools, colleges and universities. It discusses previous education policies and the approach to TVET provision in the light of the priorities of the country as reflected in NEP 2020, as also the priorities that have come with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations (UN).

Finally, in order to achieve evidence-based results, the Report outlines a set of ten recommendations that should be adopted to help achieve the stated vision for TVET in the country. These include critical recommendations for informal workers who make up the largest portion of India’s workforce. In particular, the Report makes important recommendations towards preserving and promoting India’s vast reserves of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, an activity that can create livelihoods for large numbers of its citizens and also instil a sense of pride and ownership among the youth.

The ten recommendations are:

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·        Place learners and their aspirations at the centre of vocational education and training programmes

·        Create an appropriate ecosystem for teachers, trainers and assessors

·        Focus on upskilling, re-skilling and lifelong learning

·        Ensure inclusive access to TVET for women, differently-abled and disadvantaged learners

·        Massively expand the digitalization of vocational education and training

·        Support local communities to generate livelihoods by engaging in the preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage

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·        Align better with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

·        Deploy innovative models of financing TVET

·        Expand evidence-based research for better planning and monitoring

·        Establish a robust coordinating mechanism for inter-ministerial cooperation

The substance of the Report has been developed by an experienced team of researchers from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, under the guidance of UNESCO New Delhi.  The technical and financial partner — American India Foundation (AIF), is a leading not-for-profit organization committed to improving the lives of India’s underprivileged, with a special focus on women, children, and youth.

As part of the launch, the media will have access to the following audio-visual products that include:

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• Summary video – Underlining the 10 recommendations of the Report
• Experiences of a vocational education trainee – Arvind Kumar a trainee at Learnet Delhi shares his aspirations after pursuing a welding technician course
• Experiences of a vocational education trainer – Bhanupriya a vocational trainer shares her motivating experience of empowering lives in short duration
• Over 50 high-quality images free of copyright (available on request)

Note to the Editors:

The State of the Education Report for India is one of UNESCO New Delhi’s flagship reports to be published annually.  Its main objective will be to monitor progress towards the education targets in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNESCO has developed a Strategy for TVET (2016-2021) in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 4 and the Education 2030 Framework for Action to strengthen TVET systems of Member States and advance youth employment, access to decent work, entrepreneurship and lifelong learning opportunities in specific national contexts. 

The TVET Strategy for 2016 – 2021 has three priority areas:

·        Fostering youth employment and entrepreneurship

·        Promoting equity and gender equality

·        Facilitating the transition to green economies and sustainable societies

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About UNESCO:

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture. UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in Agenda 2030, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015.

In this spirit, UNESCO develops educational tools to help people live as global citizens free of hate and intolerance. UNESCO works so that each child and citizen has access to quality education. By promoting cultural heritage and the equal dignity of all cultures, UNESCO strengthens bonds among nations. UNESCO fosters scientific programmes and policies as platforms for development and cooperation. UNESCO stands up for freedom of expression, as a fundamental right and a key condition for democracy and development. Serving as a laboratory of ideas, UNESCO helps countries adopt international standards and manages programmes that foster the free flow of ideas and knowledge sharing.

Every year UNESCO organizes International Literacy Prizes, dedicating each year to a specific theme. 2020’s theme is ‘Teaching and learning literacy: The role of educators and changing pedagogies.’

You can nominate yourself and be an applicant. Apart from this, the NGOs and Governments of Member States and those who maintain official relations with UNESCO can also nominate educators who deserve accolades for the great work.

The deadline for applications is 28 June 2020 and for the nominations, it is 12 July 2020. All these applications will go through a nomination process by the National Commissions for UNESCO or an NGO maintaining official relations with UNESCO. The prize gives special consideration to literacy amongst adults in rural areas and out-of-school youth, particularly girls and women. Each of the five prize winners receives a medal, a diploma and US$20.000.

The link for the nomination is www.unesco.org/ilp/account.

All relevant information is available on the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes website: http://en.unesco.org/themes/literacy/prizes

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Since 1967, UNESCO International Literacy Prizes have rewarded excellence and innovation in the field of literacy. Over 495 projects and programmes are undertaken by governments, non-governmental organizations and individuals around the world have been awarded these prestigious Prizes, through which UNESCO seeks to support effective literacy practices and encourages the promotion of dynamic literate societies.

On the occasion of World Environment Day, Australia’s famous vet Dr Chris Brown decided to hold a virtual school excursion named ‘Koala Help’ for kids and adults. The virtual tour was to Australia’s Port Macquarie Koala Hospital (PMKH), which has been a rescue and recovery spot for Koalas affected from the bushfires.

In the video, Dr Chris goes around the hospital and speaks to many volunteers and doctors. We see him chatting with Gaby Rivett, volunteer team leader PMKH, who shows them the nutrition food used for Koala bears. They meanwhile also answer a question from two little girls Naddika and Sama. “How many Koala bears lost their homes in the bushfire?,” ask the girls, to which Gaby replies, “Difficult to count, but we lost 600 alone in the area near the hospital.”

The video talks about Koala wildlife and habitat and how the black summer bushfire in Australia has damaged their lives. It features Australia’s Koala conservation president, who speaks about the damaged Koala habitat and their focus, which is now on rebuilding and creating more space for them to thrive and survive.

As the video moves forward, Dr Chris covers other areas of the hospital and speaks with another volunteer, who has been working there for over a decade. They discuss the health of the rescued Koalas and how bad the fires were for them. 

“What are the Koalas scared of,” asks a 4 ½-year-old girl. To which he replies, “Certain sounds and bushfires.” They also laugh off as they talk about Koalas resentment with bathing.

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The 30-minute long video is insightful on effects of climate crisis on wildlife and Koalas along with some adorable and interesting questions from their inquisitive audience aka school kids. 

We like how the video talks about a heavy topic in a light tone, that educators can easily show to their young students and effortlessly teach them about the wildlife and environment. 

Watch the entire video:

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Technology has been our saviour in these trying times of COVID-19. From virtual classes to virtual parties, from virtual car rides in a city to virtual game nights with friends and family, technology paved the virtual world of possibilities for us. Now, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is leveraging technology to make our travel plans come true during the summer vacation!

The trust is offering to give the public a virtual, self-guided tour of popular historic spots from the USA as part of its inaugural Virtual Preservation Month. Each day of May will cover one spot covering museums, national parks, and historic destinations, some of which are rarely open to the public.

To experience this virtual tour while at home, all you need to do is sign up to their daily reminders of historic sites and events or visit their website (https://savingplaces.org/) every day. Till date, visits to historic and famous sites like Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian house and sculptures at Rockefeller Estate have been up on the website. A lot more interesting sites are lined up for the upcoming days.

We suggest you wear your travel gear and enjoy a tour of these magnificent places. Inform your students about it, too! 

Source: Lifehacke

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 1 March 2020:

Exhibitors at the 13th edition of the Global Educational Supplies and Solutions (GESS) exhibition in Dubai see bright business prospects in the Middle East, as schools throughout the region look to enhance their competitiveness by adopting innovative solutions and the latest technologies.

Business owners say the many public and private sector initiatives were undertaken during the past few years – such as establishing quality assurance authorities, building guidelines, and encouraging technology-driven education and smart initiatives, among others – have all combined to help improve the quality of education.

In addition, exhibitors welcome having a platform such as GESS, where they can meet key decision-makers from a burgeoning education market and who are increasingly allocating budgets to acquire a wide range of products and solutions.

“We’ve worked very hard to set up this platform where companies can explore new or enhance existing business by connecting them with the right people. Our key buyers' programme has been the conduit through which we have made this happen, and we are glad that exhibitors are finding the right audience at the event,” said Sarah Palmer, Marketing and Conference Director, Tarsus, organisers of the event.

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For his part, Eng. Mohammad S. Almadani, Chief Executive Officer of Classera Middle East, said GESS Dubai is an important part of their expansion strategy in this part of the world. “We are here with the mission to transform the education by using technology in close cooperation with the ministries of education in the region. It is the most significant show for us, not just in the UAE, but throughout the whole Middle East.”

Headquartered in Silicon Valley, the US-based company has local offices in Jeddah, Oman, Cairo, and Dubai. “Classera has the biggest market share of K-12 using its smart learning solutions in the Middle East,” Almadani said.

Dr. John Collick, Head of International Education Strategy at Promethean, said, “We established business in the Middle East many years ago. We see a significant year on year growth of our company and expect a huge opportunity in developmental projects in the region which is why we participate in GESS Dubai”

The company already has projects in the region. Last year, the global education technology provider had been appointed by the Egyptian Ministry of Education as a strategic partner to enhance teaching digitally and learning throughout the country. The partnership will see the Promethean ActivPanel upgrade 26,000 existing school classrooms and installed in new 'Intelligent Classrooms', which will be constructed over the next three years to bolster the country's education provision.

Besides the UAE, education suppliers are also setting their sights on opportunities now opening up in Saudi Arabia. Representatives from the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority shared updates on the kingdom’s education-focused initiatives at the event, saying deals have been closed and licenses issued to several prominent education institutions, such as GEMS Education, Kaplan, Astrolabs and Education First, among many others.

Seven more deals are in the pipeline with US- and UK-based institutions, with an expected combined capital investment of over $1bn to be poured into Saudi Arabia’s education sector.

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Support for small businesses

For the past few years, GESS has become the go-to platform for education start-ups keen to showcase their products to a growing market. Face-Up Co-Founder & COO David Spunar said, “The feedback is good, we received a good number of enquiries and hope to get the right partner in the region.”

Launched three years ago, FaceUp is a web and mobile platform through which students can anonymously report bullying and other issues their peers are facing with their school counsellors.

Touch Education is another start-up from Lebanon. Its Chief Executive Officer Moussa Sweidan said, “In a world of rapid change, young people need the right mix of skills to thrive. Although academic skills are important, they are not sufficient to foster thoughtful, productive and engaged citizens.”

Robotics is a solution by Touch Education, a forerunner in education technology. The Robotics programme has been developed as a result of collaborative innovation within the renowned education sector.

She said, “In Lebanon, we have many schools using our products. We are focusing on KG students. Every group works with one robot.”

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The three-day education conference and exhibition recently concluded at the Dubai World Trade Centre. It was held in partnership with the UAE’s Ministry of Education and also supported by the Ministry of Education Bahrain, Ministry of Education Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Arab Bureau of Education for Gulf States (ABEGS), British Schools in the Middle East (BSME) and Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) as Knowledge Partner.

“We are delighted to see another successful edition of GESS Dubai. The aim of the event is to help improve educational services in the region by providing a platform to share knowledge and best practice as well as key products and solutions that will improve the delivery of education across classrooms in the region,” added Palmer, who announced that a special GESS Leaders in Education Edtech Summit will be held in Dubai on October 6-7 later this year, hosted by the Middle East School Leadership Conference, and designed specifically for educators who directly influence purchasing as well as school owners who direct strategy and training in the edtech sphere.

The GESS exhibition and conference returns to Dubai on March 2-4, 2021 at DWTC.