UAE joins Microsoft's education think-tank

The UAE will be a founding member of Microsoft's global initiative called "Leading Countries of the World in Transforming Education", which will bring together education ministries and leaders to collaborate on the future of learning.

The UAE will join countries such as Argentina and Finland in shaping future approaches to education worldwide. Discussions will cover topics such as assessment, curricula, administration, physical learning environments, accessibility, and sustainability.

The goal of the sessions will be to get proven innovators to share their success stories and present ideas for the future.

Speaking at the announcement, Microsoft Gulf regional general manager Samer Abu Ltaif said: "Leading Countries of the World in Transforming Education, is all about pushing boundaries. It's all too easy to recycle old ideas that have worked in the past, but at Microsoft we have never been interested in the status quo. We have our eyes consistently on the next horizon, and the UAE's Ministry of Education has that in common with us. They are innovators; they have eclipsed standards and established their own; and they understand the vital role technology can play in this exciting evolution of the classroom."

H.E. Marwan Ahmad Al Sawaleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education added: "Education sits at the heart of societal progress. We must equip our young people to be the leaders of tomorrow, and to do that we must continually look for ways to enhance their learning experiences. The UAE welcomes the opportunity to join Microsoft's Leading Countries initiative as a founding member and share our success stories with our international partners."

Microsoft announced Leading Countries of the World in Transforming Education at the inaugural BETT Middle East Leadership Forum & Expo, held in Abu Dhabi from April 6-7.