Kosovo celebrates its National Day at Expo 2020 Dubai

Kosovo on Thursday celebrated its National Day at Expo 2020 Dubai with a colourful collage of traditional performances and with the attendance of Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Rozeta Hajdari, Kosovo’s Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, and other officials and dignitaries.

On this occasion, Dr Al Falasi, said, “Kosovo’s pavilion uses art to showcase the country’s historical links to Islamic and Arab culture, along with its scenic landscapes, architecture and drive towards a sustainable future.

“The UAE’s relationship with Kosovo has grown over the years into an integrated economic partnership, resulting in ground-breaking agreements across an array of vital spheres. At Expo 2020 Dubai, we aim to foster new opportunities of cooperation between our two countries for our mutual benefit.”

 For her part, Hajdari said, “We have a tremendous opportunity to share our unique story, foster our common values and strengthen ties with governments, businesses, organisations and personalities with our host nation and other participating countries at Expo 2020 Dubai. We feel so proud that our flag is waving among those of Expo’s 192 participating nations - this is a great story for our nation and for our people.” Kosovo is rich in art and traditional folklore, and the cultural performance for the National Day vividly reflected this. Wearing a range of costumes, dancers performed several styles, including Shotë, a popular routine at folk festivals, weddings and events.

Later, the spectacular Al Wasl Dome was illuminated with an immersive projection titled ‘Celebrating Kosovo’.

The Kosovo Pavilion, located in Mobility District, portrays the country as a cradle of opportunity in the heart of the Balkans. Focusing on the emerging youthful nation, the pavilion highlights how the country’s demography and identity make Europe’s newest country favourable for investment opportunities.

Falasi vists Spain Pavilion: Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and SMEs, has visited Spain Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

He was welcomed by José Andrés Torres Mora, Commissioner General of the Pavilion, and Julieta Casanova, Commercial Attaché at the Embassy of Spain in the UAE.

During his visit, Dr Al Falasi said that Expo 2020 Dubai is an important and distinguished opportunity that drives the development of global economies. “The event helps create a sustainable economic model for the post COVID-19 era by providing solutions, facilitating dialogue and inspiring action in important areas that contribute to building this new economic model,” he said, pointing to the exceptional impact the exhibition has on the economy of the UAE, as it will help accelerate trade and investment exchange in all sectors, especially the futuristic ones.

Located in the sustainability district, the pavilion stands out for its enormous colourful cones, partially covered with ultralight and flexible photovoltaic panels that lead visitors to an airy ground floor containing several, naturally cooled plazas featuring, ‘Glimpses’, a series of exhibitions synthesising some of the most relevant contributions of Spain to the global culture, highlighting some of the historical links between the country and the Arab culture.

Themed “Intelligence for life”, the pavilion aims to become an example of intelligent creativity, capable of uniting people around sustainable projects in the fields of science, technology, education, and art.

The UAE-Spanish economic ties have witnessed significant development over the past few years. Spain is the UAE’s sixth largest European trading partner that accounts for 5 per cent of the UAE’s total non-oil trade with the EU countries. Furthermore, Spanish market is one of the most vital global priority markets for the Emirati business and investment community, with Emirati investments in Spain amounting to more than $4.3 billion.

The value of non-oil foreign trade exchange between the two countries stood at $2.6 billion in 2021, a growth of 17 per cent compared to the previous year.

The UAE’s non-oil exports to Spain stood at $350 million, which is double the amount in 2020, especially in aluminium products. Spain is the second largest European importer of aluminium from the UAE.

Qudwa-PISA Global Competence Forum: The 2022 Qudwa-PISA Global Competence Forum will take place today at Expo 2020 Dubai under the theme of “Preparing students to live in an interconnected world”.

The event, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, will convene teachers, international policy experts, and decision-makers from around the world to inspire knowledge-sharing and discussions that promote global competence as an essential skillset for the 21st century.

Organised by the Education Affairs Office at the Crown Prince Court (CPC) of Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Bussola Institute, the Qudwa-PISA Global Competence Forum will feature accomplished and renowned international guest speakers, including 14 professionals and experts, who will share key future insights, information, and expertise. The agenda is designed with the view to explore the adaptation of global competence for the classroom and its wider implications for society. The OECD will also launch a new PISA report on teaching for global competence in various contexts.

“Qudwa is an important part of the UAE’s forward-thinking, multicultural educational environment, and positions the UAE as a global leader in education as it focuses on advancing global competence skills and practices in the classroom, which aligns with the goals of Abu Dhabi Government Accelerators Programme ‘Ghadan 21’. Developing global competence is a lifelong journey and it’s a process that education can shape. As the global community strives to accelerate professional development, encourage knowledge-sharing, and scale innovation, creativity, and collaboration to greater heights, the Qudwa-PISA Global Competence Forum is set to spearhead these efforts once more,” said Mohamed Al Nuaimi, Director of Education Affairs Office, Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi.

“The stellar line-up of speakers from the UAE and abroad will reiterate the importance of promoting global competence, which was reinforced during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it brought to the forefront how learning can support coping with uncertainty through the way we understand societies and the way we are connected, helping to enhance and improve education systems around the world, and allowing countries to learn from each other,” he added.

The agenda includes sessions that are aimed at helping teachers in the UAE grow professionally, work together, and prepare their students for a dynamic and diverse world.

The speakers will address forum attendees throughout the day, with each participating across several scheduled sessions. Highlights from the agenda include a number of speakers from the UAE and abroad, as well as Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills.

“A big part of global competence is about understanding how nations and cultures intertwine and overlap, as well as how they differ and sometimes clash,” said Schleicher. “And ultimately, it’s about understanding that in a global society, everyone’s fate is linked to everyone else’s, no matter what the context. Bringing together so many different perspectives and backgrounds in one place at a forum like this is a perfect way to start that conversation.”

For his part, John Dennehy, Secretary-General, Bussola Institute, said, “The conversations around global competence need to be aligned more effectively than ever, as we become increasingly interconnected. To ensure the forum achieves the impacts we envisage, a major part of our planning was to bring together an impressive selection of expert speakers from the UAE and across the globe. With their participation, global competence education will undoubtedly break new barriers and transcend industries, positioning all of us to benefit from the advantages this skill presents.”

Held biennially, Qudwa is supported strategically by a number of partners, including the Ministry of Education, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority of Dubai, and the Sharjah Private Education Authority.