WISE addresses world’s critical education issues ahead of 2021 summit

World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), a Qatar Foundation education think tank, has released 10 timely and comprehensive research reports, featuring action-oriented recommendations and policy guidance for stakeholders across the education industry. Produced in collaboration with recognised global thought leaders, the 2021 Research Series was informed by the unique challenges Covid-19 presented to education across the globe. WISE continues to lead an evidence-based exploration of current education challenges, in line with the priorities of the Qatar National Research Strategy. Its findings, many of which draw on Qatar as one of several case studies, highlighted the central need to place innovation and collaboration at the heart of all efforts to redesign current education models.Dr Asmaa Alfadala, director of research and content development at WISE, said: “We are immensely proud of the strong collaboration and resilience of our research teams, and of these new reports that have once again produced profound insights into the ever-changing education sector. Global education has been uniquely impacted by the pandemic, including in the way that our youth experience learning. The emerging research ecosystem is marked by an accelerated move to digital platforms and new ways of learning.”Four of the recently released reports explore education theory, policy, and practice in the context of Qatar’s education system. Hundreds of local education stakeholders have contributed their perspectives, resulting in locally-informed, globally-relevant research findings.Developed in partnership with Duke University and The Wellbeing Project, the Teacher Wellbeing Report undertook a scoping literature review and case studies in Cambodia, Kenya, and Qatar. It points to new emerging challenges, particularly during and post-pandemic, and aims to make a global contribution to the overlooked issue of teacher wellbeing. Revisiting Equity: Covid-19 and Education of Children with Disabilities, conducted with Cambridge University, analyses the impact of Covid-19-related school closures on the education of primary-school-aged children with disabilities. Data collected from over 100 parents and 142 teaching staff across 18 schools in Qatar shows a significant socio-emotional impact on both parents and children. The report advocates for action from policymakers to create more supportive at-home learning environments, ensuring undisrupted and equal access to education for every child.Developing Local Learning Ecosystems in Qatar to Advance Equity, Inclusion and Social Cohesion explores how learning ecosystems may evolve as new drivers of education in Qatar and beyond. By engaging over 150 local stakeholders as well as a selection of global experts, the research indicates that building purposeful collaboration across institutions and sectors can support shared learning goals, as schools are making the transition back to in-person learning.Through interviews with selected local stakeholders and experts, the Local Learning Ecosystems project also takes a look at the nature of leadership, collaboration and partnership in Qatar. The report features case studies of key organisations that are developing collaborative ecosystems across institutional boundaries, including Qatar Museums, INJAZ Qatar, Qatar Shell, Generation Amazing, Ibtechar, as well as Qatar Foundation's Higher Education, Renad Academy and HBKU Makers Majlis.The Embedding Innovation Labs in Schools as a Vehicle for Transformation in Education report addresses the challenge of changing education, offering practical insight on how to reap the benefits of innovation labs in schools. ‘How must we be educating our learners today to prepare for the complex world of tomorrow?’ is one of the questions posed. Authors and researchers will come together as part of several research presentations and ‘Meet the Authors’ events during WISE 2021, returning to Doha in a first-ever hybrid edition on December 7 and 9 under the theme ‘Generation Unmute: Reclaiming our Future through Education’.