Experts impressed by Summit Wednesday, 08 December 2010 01:39

By Fazeena Saleem

DOHA: The World Innovation Summit for Education-WISE has attracted many leading thinkers and innovators from different sectors of the world.

The Peninsula spoke to a cross section of the delegates who are in Doha in the summit.

“The summit started very well, we agree with WISE that experience should be shared for an innovative education system,” said Prof Jean Tabi Mancna, Professor, University of Yaunde II in Cameron.

Dr Christian Bode, head of the German Academic Exchange Service, who was a speaker at the first WISE summit said: “This is a very unique conference, still it should find ways to improve the structure. Politicians and business community too should be made to participate, because at the end they have a major role in implementing things.”

“This is an incredible event, right place to share experiences. Through sustainable communication between the summits more innovation and dynamic dicisions could be made,” said Azza Et Shinnaway, Education Head, Microsoft, Gulf.

Some practitioners from academic institutions, the public sector and voluntary sector also pointed at the need to include more features to support education. Julie A Weindling, Consultant to the First Lady of New York, is attending the summit for the second time.

“Last year, it was mainly ideas. Now those ideas are executed and implemented. As a suggestion, health and nutrition sectors could be added to the agenda as it has direct links to children’s education.”

Many countries have increased their number of delegates from the first WISE summit as to make more participation into the education innovation.

“This is the most impressive conference I have attended. This year we have more delegates than last year. The new networking feature in this year’s summit was among my suggestions and I’m glad it was implemented,” said Chinese Prof Wang Guo-An, Secretary, IAUP, East Asia.

Participants also said that the summit is still young to fall into its actual place. The Peninsula