DATE ANNOUNCED FOR ‘EDUCATION PROJECT 2010’ IN BAHRAIN

- LEADING INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION EXPERTS BOOK DATE IN DIARY -

01 June 2010, Manama:  A global education summit launched last year in Bahrain will return to the Kingdom in October, reuniting international experts focused on improving the quality of education worldwide.

The second occasion of the Education Project will take place from 8-10 October, bringing together the community of educators formed at the inaugural event last year.  The annual platform was initiated by His Royal Highness Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince of Bahrain and Chairman of the Kingdom’s Economic Development Board (EDB).  It was established to help shape the future of education, described last year by HRH the Crown Prince as the most important issue to the future of any country.

Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive of the EDB which is again organising the event, said: “Education for all remains one of the greatest challenges facing today’s world.  It is the single most important factor in bringing stability, productivity and prosperity to all societies.  Our goal in Bahrain in establishing the Education Project was to bring educationalists together as an international team.  This year, we want to progress a practical roadmap that educators worldwide can follow to bring about an improvement in education outcomes.”

Hundreds of professionals from 36 countries joined together last year to identify practical solutions to address the gap in the global education system.  They left equipped with the information and backing needed to make real changes – and there have been many examples of action since.  These include the support for Dr Teddy Blecher, CEO and co-founder of CIDA City Campus in South Africa, to secure a $150,000 grant to replicate the success of the Johannesburg project overseas.  And having enlisted delegates to test its pilot project for online learning, Dr Naim and Janet Syed from OLK12 in New Hampshire are already servicing 20 schools and some 4,500 students, while working to set up pilot projects with schools in Kenya and Saudi Arabia.

Speakers for the Education Project 2010 are to be confirmed but will come from across the fields of academia, business and politics; last year’s speakers included representatives from Harvard University, the World Bank, Save the Children and the corporate sector.  The two day conference will comprise interactive workshops and plenary sessions, inspiring open debate.  And there will also be trips to Bahraini educational institutions to start international exchange programmes.

Education and training is an important pillar underpinning Bahrain’s Vision 2030, the blueprint for the development of the country’s economy, government and wider society over the coming decades.  The Kingdom will be two years into the process, which the EDB is leading under the guidance of its chair HRH the Crown Prince, at the time of the Education Project 2010.  Last year HRH the Crown Prince said the Education Project had grown out of Bahrain’s own experience in learning from the best education systems around the world.  The country was the first in the Gulf to introduce a public education system in 1919 and to open education to women in 1928.

As before, the Education Project is free to attend for educational professionals from all sectors as well as from public and private sector institutions with an interest in developing new models and standards in education.  Entry is by invitation only; for more information and to register online visit: www.educationprojectbahrain.org

About The Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB)

The Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) is a dynamic public agency with an overall responsibility for formulating and overseeing the economic development strategy of Bahrain, and for creating the right climate to attract direct investment into the Kingdom.

The role of the Bahrain EDB is to provide leadership by uniting all of the Kingdom’s shareholders through a unified vision, and to develop key strategies for growth. The Bahrain EDB also acts as a facilitator, helping all of Bahrain’s stakeholders to understand and adopt the changes necessary for progress. In addition, the Bahrain EDB provides sound project management to ensure that all agreed reform initiatives are implemented in an effective and timely manner.

The Bahrain EDB is also responsible for attracting inward investment into Bahrain, and is focusing on six target economic sectors in which the Kingdom offers significant strengths. These are financial services, downstream industries, tourism, business services, logistics, and education and training.

For more information on the Bahrain EDB visit www.bahrainedb.com; for information about Bahrain visit www.bahrain.com