Doha: The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), a member of Qatar Foundation, launched an e-book covering school responses to the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic, yesterday.
The special edition e-book — Education Disrupted, Education Reimagined: Responses from education’s frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond was produced in real time, in a collaboration between WISE, Salzburg Global Seminar and Diplomatic Courier.
This special edition e-book tells the education story during the COVID-19 pandemic in real time, through a collection of over 40 articles and essays written by key stakeholders on education’s front-line during the crisis.
The contributors to the e-book include H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation and Gordon Brown, the former British Prime Minister.
The e-book was officially launched by WISE and Salzburg Global Seminar through a virtual session during the Global Goals Week.
According Stavros N Yiannouka, the CEO of WISE, this e-book acts as a record of education responses to the disruption caused by the first phase of the pandemic.
“It also contains some compelling visions of achievable changes to education systems that would produce more equitable outcomes that are more relevant to the pandemic and beyond.”
“This book really reflects the values of WISE, we are trusted global dedicated to building future of education by identifying, recognising and supporting innovation in education. That fulfils our aspiration for primary education for everyone, no matter what the circumstances are,” Yiannouka said.
“This book really reflects the true diversity of voices. The book has collected contributions from over 50 authors from around the world. It reflects on real time value as a documentary of reflections and responses to the education challenge over the generation,” he added.
Dominic Regester, Program Director at Salzburg Global recalled the UN Secretary-General António Guterres recent statement that some of the gains we have made in the past 25 years through the Millennium Development Goals and now the Sustainable Development Goals, were erased just in the first five months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic has reiterated how important school is to young people and their families and has also shown many ways in which the experience of school can change,” he said.
The virtual event also heard leading voices from six other contributing organisations to the e-book including Andreas Schleicher – Director, Directorate of Education and Skills, OECD, Marc A Brackett Director, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Asif Saleh, Executive Director, BRAC Bangladesh, Daniela labra Cardero, Co-founder, AtentaMente, Staneala Beckley, Chair, Sierra Leone’s Teaching Service Commission, and Rebecca Telford, Chief, education Section at UNHCR.