DOHA: The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), an initiative of Qatar Foundation (QF), has entered into new partnerships and initiatives with key Chinese educational institutions following discussions with senior educators and research officials in Beijing.
In addition to expanding Chinese representation at the WISE 2015 Summit, WISE will engage with Chinese institutions on collaborative research efforts in entrepreneurship education, 21st century skills and other areas of common interest.
In engaging with some of China’s distinguished institutions and education innovators,WISE is supporting QF’s mission in new approaches to education, promoting innovation and building the future of education through the summit and ongoing programmes.
During the recent visit to Beijing, Stavros N Yiannouka, CEO, WISE, gave the opening keynote address at the Learners’ Innovation Forum on Education (LIFE), organised by the 21st Century Education Research Institute.
Yiannouka also hosted a round-table discussion with Chinese education innovators, and gave interviews with the media.
WISE agreed to establish a regular presence at key education forums in China, such as LIFE, an annual conference on innovation in education.
WISE will also pursue collaborative research with Tsinghua University on entrepreneurial education and with China Education Innovation Institute at Beijing Normal University on 21st century skills.
Both institutions are among the top 10 Chinese universities, and their delegations will attend WISE 2015.
WISE will explore the possibility of partnering with the Rural Education Action Programme (REAP), an initiative of Centre for Chinese Agricultural Policy and Stanford University, to conduct joint research on early childhood development in disadvantaged rural areas of China and elsewhere.
WISE also announced a partnership with China Renmin University Press, one of the oldest and distinguished publishers of academic works, for translation and publication of three WISE books into Chinese.
The partnership expands the impact and reach of WISE books as they will enter the largest education market in the world.
“We are delighted that the work of so many education innovators and entrepreneurs described and celebrated in three WISE books and the work of QF, will be directly available to a potentially vast Chinese readership.
“Collaboration between WISE, Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing (BQFP) and Renmin University Press could expand the impact of QF’s education agenda.
“We hope aspirations and accomplishments of educators and thought leaders portrayed in these books will resonate productively with our readers in China and help inspire and leverage new, exciting accomplishments.
“WISE is pleased to welcome our Chinese readers to the extended WISE community,” said Yiannouka.
BQFP, publishers of WISE books, will license the rights to publish books in Chinese to Renmin.
With more than 3,000 college textbooks and academic works released each year, Renmin will publish translated books as a series in April 2016, and WISE will launch them during the next LIFE in Beijing.
Fayuan Wu, Editor of WISE books in Chinese and President of Yuanchuang Education Institute, said, “WISE is a pioneering initiative. WISE books, looking into innovative solutions and successful practices in education around the world, are a valuable source of inspiration for China. I am convinced that Chinese education policymakers and reformers will benefit from WISE books translated into their language.”
The Peninsula
