Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Bett Middle East & Africa (MEA) 2018, a leading global education technology exhibition and congress series, has announced its line-up and agenda for the Leadership Summit and Expo 2018, under a strengthened regional focus.
For the first time, Bett Middle East will encompass the burgeoning Africa markets, bringing together more than 50 nations under one roof to discuss the future of education and its transformation. The two-day event will be hosted in strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) and Microsoft, Bett’s worldwide partner, and will take place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) on April 23 and 24, 2018.
The event expects to host nearly 2,500 visitors, including ministerial officials, curriculum, and educational policy makers, alongside other regional operators in the EdTech sector.
The conference agenda has been selected to address challenges posed by the education community, through Bett MEA 2018’s chosen theme for this year – ‘Educating for Success in the 4th Industrial Revolution’. As educators globally look to advance the use of smart learning technologies, the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) has the potential to transform and stimulate discussions. These innovations can be harnessed by progressive educators to tackle challenges faced by the education community, including; global inclusive education and 360-degree learning in the classroom.
Crafted following more than 100 hours of research, the Leadership Summit is a regionally topical two-day conference, exclusively tailored for senior education leaders. Inspirational, thought-leadership keynotes within the Day One morning plenary will be followed by a multi-stream afternoon programme, tailored to: K-12, Higher & Vocational Education and Roundtable breakout streams. Day Two will be kick-started by multi-stream sessions and will conclude with multiple plenary sessions. Simultaneous networking and breakout sessions will take place throughout the two days of the event.
Running in parallel with the Leadership Summit, the Expo will showcase over 100 of the most exciting transformative tools and technologies that are set to revolutionise the learning environment. Aside from the leading technology demonstrations, the Expo will showcase a unique two-day ‘Learn Live’ theatre – a hub for learning from education leaders through a series of seminars, practical demonstrations, and presentations. Back by popular demand are the Microsoft School Leaders and Teachers Academies, workshops that are designed to foster innovation and empower educators to transform learning and teaching at their schools. New for 2018, the ‘Tech Talks’ stage will provide a platform to mobilise interactive workshops and demonstrations to cultivate and answer questions from the region’s educators.
Notable and influential figures across the education sector speaking at the event demonstrates the breadth of representatives from across the Middle East & Africa markets. This includes:
- E. Hussain Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, Ministry of Education (UAE)
- E. Dr. Ali Nuaimi, Chairman, Department of Education and Knowledge (UAE)
- E. Dr. Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi, Director General, UAE Space Agency
- Mr. Anthony Salcito, Vice-President for Worldwide Education, Microsoft (USA)
- Mr. Derek Smith, Principal & CEO, Olashore International School (Nigeria)
- Dr. Keijo Sipila, Chief Digital Officer, Department of Education (Finland)
- Prof. Rose Luckin, Professor of Learner Centred Design, UCL Knowledge Hub, UCL Institute of Education, UCL (UK)
- Mr. Tod A. Laursen, President, Khalifa University of Science, Technology & Research (UAE)
- Dr. William Swartout, Chief Technology Officer, USC Institute for Creative Technologies (USA)
Speakers from many regional Middle East and Africa ministries include:
- Dr. Jasir Alherbish, Vice Minister – Scholarship Affairs, Ministry of Education (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
- Dr. Momar Dieng, Former Senior Technical & Policy Advisor, Ministry of Education (Senegal)
- Dr. Inas Sobhy, e- Learning Director General, Ministry of Education (Egypt)
- Ms. Naima G. Ismail, Senior Chief of Schools, Quality Manager – Education Sector, Ministry of Education (Bahrain)
- Ms. Noura Ibrahim Al Marri, Director – Special Education, Ministry of Education (UAE)
- Mrs. Uwem Asomugha, Deputy Director – ICT Education, Federal Ministry of Education (Nigeria)
A robust line-up of prominent industry affiliates for Bett MEA 2018 include the event’s Lead Sponsor – Lenovo, a global leader in providing innovative consumer, commercial and data centre technology. Innovation Partner – Alef Education, a privately-held, Abu Dhabi based education technology company. The Associate Sponsor is Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished Academic Performance School with Aldar Academies listed as this year’s Co-Sponsor. Elsewhere, key supporters of Bett MEA include; British Schools in the Middle East (BSME), Edarabia, Injaz Al Arab, Teach Middle East and My UAE guide.
Rounding out the 2018 event, the Bett MEA Gala Dinner & Awards, will take place on 23 April, 2018. The evening will celebrate the boldest solutions, the bravest institutions and the best projects shaping the region’s education landscape.
Bett is part of a broader world-leading education event series and is proud to be part of a global meeting place for the EdTech community. Through a series of world-class events, including its flagship event in London UK and in Abu Dhabi, Bett’s international footprint has expanded overseas into Latin America and Asia. For further information, including the full agenda of the event, please visit: https://mea.bettshow.com/
