-Researchers and educators: Investing in the teacher is an investment in the future
A scientific symposium organized by the Trends Center for Research and Consultation, in cooperation with the Regional Center for Educational Planning – UNESCO, emphasized the importance of the pivotal role that the teacher plays in shaping the future of generations, especially in light of the rapid transformations and increasing challenges that the world is witnessing.
The symposium, which was held on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day, which falls on October 5th every year, in the Grand Conference Hall of the Trends Center, under the title “Empowering Teachers: Building Sustainable Societies,” and brought together an elite group of international educators and researchers, stressed the importance of joint cooperation between various stakeholders to enable Teachers and building sustainable societies, noting that developing the education sector requires concerted efforts and coordination of work. The symposium recommended the necessity of investing in sustainable professional development programs for teachers, providing a supportive work environment, and employing technology and innovation in the educational process.
The teacher is a maker for generations
In a welcoming speech, Dr. Muhammad Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of the Trends Center, stressed that the teacher is not just a transmitter of knowledge, but rather a maker of generations and the student’s personality. He stressed the need to empower the teacher and provide a supportive environment for him to keep pace with technological and educational developments, stressing the importance of investing in teachers and developing their capabilities, stressing that the teacher is the basic pillar of any successful educational system.
Dr. Muhammad Al-Ali said that the holding of this symposium coincides with an important event witnessed by the United Arab Emirates, which is the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, to adopt the twenty-eighth of February of each year as “Emirati Education Day.” This is to celebrate the importance of education in the UAE, and its pivotal role in its development and progress, building its generations and society, and contributing to its cultural renaissance. This confirms the UAE leadership’s firm belief in the value of education and its fundamental role in building generations and the progress of countries, as it is the main driver of the wheel of its development and development, and the country’s keenness to continue… Its efforts to improve the teaching profession and the conditions of teachers, adding that the “Mohamed bin Zayed Award for Best Teacher” also represents the best embodiment of the interest that the Emirati leadership gives to empowering teachers, celebrating them and motivating them to perform their educational and societal role.
Dr. Al-Ali pointed out that this symposium also coincides with the celebration of International Teachers’ Day, which falls on the fifth of October every year, and which represents an annual occasion to remind of the importance of the role played by teachers, and ways to support them and confront the challenges they face, in order to enhance the profession. Teaching.
momentum
In a similar speech, Her Excellency Mahra Hilal Al-Mutaiwi, Director of the Regional Center for Educational Planning – UNESCO, said: “We at the Regional Center for Educational Planning believe that the teacher is the basic pillar of any successful educational system, and is the driving force for the progress of societies and shaping their future. Teachers are leaders of change and makers of the future, and they represent one of the strategic axes of the center’s work. From this standpoint, we continue to work to support teachers by providing advanced training programs and providing all the resources they need to keep pace with modern challenges. We are committed to investing in the teacher as an essential element for building sustainable societies capable of confronting global changes and achieving the goals of comprehensive and equitable education for all.
Empowering the teacher
Following this, the symposium held two working sessions that focused on the future and sustainability of the teaching profession, and on the role of teachers in building a successful future for students and society.
The experts, researchers and educators discussed the matter, including Her Excellency Maryam Majid Bin Thaniah, Second Vice-President of the Federal National Council, Dr. Mai Al-Taie, Director of the Emirates College for Educational Development, Carlos Vargas Tamez, Chairman of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030, UNESCO, and Dr. Iman Gad, Dean. The College of Education at the British University in Dubai, and Professor Salima Al Saadi, a teacher who won the Mohammed bin Zayed Award for Best Teacher, presented a number of pressing issues facing teachers in the current era, starting from the shortage of their numbers, all the way to the urgent need to develop their skills to suit the requirements of the twenty-first century. .
Innovative strategies were reviewed to support teachers in developing their competencies, enhancing their abilities, and becoming mentors and inspirations for their students, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, especially the fourth goal (SDG4), which focuses on ensuring comprehensive and equitable education for all segments of society.
The symposium also addressed the importance of education and scientific research in light of the rapid technological developments, starting with the first industrial revolution, all the way to the era of artificial intelligence, where the increasing need for specialized skills in fields such as engineering and science, and the role of education in supporting sustainable development, was emphasized.
The topics of the second session focused on the main goal of empowering teachers and preparing them to keep pace with future changes, in line with the vision of the wise leadership. The efforts of the Emirates College for Educational Development in developing the teaching profession and providing teachers with the necessary skills for modern education were also highlighted.
Visions and ideas
Researchers, experts and educators provided inspiring insights and practical ideas on how to empower teachers to face future challenges. They stressed the importance of developing educators’ skills to keep pace with rapid technological development, especially with the emergence of artificial intelligence, noting that the Emirates College for Educational Development plays a vital role in this field by providing teachers with the necessary skills, specialized academic programs, and a framework of specialized competencies.
The speakers also touched on the importance of employing technology and innovation in the educational process, in addition to enhancing the role of the teacher in instilling basic life values and skills in students, which contributes to preparing a generation capable of facing challenges and building sustainable societies.
These visions and ideas focused on the basic skills and competencies necessary for teachers to succeed in the future, in addition to a global view of the status of teachers and their role in transforming education. There was also talk about designing a sustainable professional development program to support teacher career development as one of the most important pillars of community development, where emphasis was placed on The importance of designing sustainable training programs that meet teachers’ needs and contribute to their professional development.
Speakers at the symposium, which witnessed distinguished attendance, discussed the benefits of sustainable professional development for teachers and considering the teacher as a fundamental pillar in creating a balanced and harmonious society. They focused on the challenges of professional development for teachers in light of work pressures and the quest to raise the professional level of the teacher, in addition to teacher support for students to prepare for the future as a necessity. It is inevitable, as it aims to empower students with knowledge and various skills that enhance their abilities and refine their personalities. The importance of the teacher’s role in instilling basic life skills in students and enabling them to face the challenges of the future was also emphasized.
At the conclusion of the symposium, which was presented by researcher Shamma Ahmed and moderated by researcher Rahaf Al-Khazraji, head of the translation department at Trends, His Excellency Dr. Muhammad Al-Ali honored the participants and presented them with certificates of appreciation and a collection of the center’s research publications.
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