Education sees key shift since start of pandemic: Minister

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

To celebrate International Day of Education on Jan.24, Expo 2020 Dubai – the world’s best classroom – is highlighting the myriad educational opportunities the site has to offer.

Showcasing vital transformations that have to be cultivated to realise everyone’s fundamental right to education, this year’s International Day of Education sets out to build a more sustainable, inclusive and peaceful future.

As detailed in Unesco’s recent global Futures of Education report, rebalancing our relationships with each other, with nature and with technology is fundamental to transforming the future.

Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “A cornerstone of the UAE’s development strategy, education has witnessed a fundamental shift since the beginning of the pandemic, with traditional learning modes dismantled in favour of others that better equip our next generation for the demands of the 21st century.”

Through curated journeys and programmes designed to address global challenges and spur action to solve issues such as climate change, health and wellness, inequality and environmental degradation, Expo 2020 Dubai is leading the way in the field of fun and informative learning.

The Expo School Programme offers four immersive journeys, allowing students the chance to embark on educational journeys through the site’s three vibrant Thematic Districts (Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability), as well as pavilions with experiences aligned with diverse school curricula in the UAE. Over 330,000 pupils from private and public schools across the UAE have experienced these journeys over 41 days.

In “Legacy of UAE,” journey students discover the UAE’s rich history, vibrant culture and ambitious future driven by the vision of its leaders; “World of Opportunities” reveals the impact of individual actions on the world and inspires visitors to become positive agents of change; “Universe in Motion”propels visitors through space to discover human progress across physical and digital realms; and “Sustainable Planet” shows how the choices we make today affect the world of tomorrow.

Students can also join through Virtual Expo, with Expo Adventures offering an interactive journey for those up to the age of nine.

Children can play on their own devices, with the experiences filled with incredible facts, animated stories and exciting games.

For older students, Virtual Expo is the place to discover the latest Expo podcasts, talks, audio guides and 360 virtual tours, while the Expo 2020 Dubai mobile app, for ages 13 and above, features stunning augmented-reality visualisations and quests to stimulate learning.

With the next generation primed to lead the nation in innovation and creativity – and to prepare children in the future for careers that haven’t been invented yet – Expo 2020 Dubai’s Young Innovators programme is a transformative educational experience.

Through the Young Innovators Programme, exceptional individuals are nurtured to shape the future, making huge strides in the fields of science and technology to make the world a better place.

After receiving more than 6,000 submissions, the Expo School Programme selected 298 projects to exhibit in Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion, for the entire six months of Expo 2020 Dubai. A total of 563 schools from around the UAE made submissions.

From joining in a game of pinball to determine our planet’s future at Terra, to encountering humpback whales, turtles and the Coelacanth – one of the rarest fish in the world – at the Comoros Pavilion, and discovering a new-generation bioprinter that can reproduce live cells with 4D printer technology, Expo 2020 Dubai is a classroom for everyone.

Expo 2020 Dubai also offers bespoke journeys through its app. The “Reimagine Education” visitor journey provides invaluable insights into what lies ahead for learning, as countries including Angola, Ireland, Jordan, Malawi, Monaco and the UAE adopt measures to bring educational experiences and workforce preparation up to speed with emerging technologies in the digital age. Fusing traditional knowledge with innovation, “Reimagine Education” is one of many fascinating self-guided visitor journeys, available on the Expo 2020 Dubai app.