GCES Symposium 2012

Third Annual Gulf GCES Symposium

Global Innovation, Local Transformation: Trends & Reactions

March 24-25, 2012

Crowne Plaza Hotel

Kingdom of Bahrain

The GCES Symposium 2012 brought over 41 speakers from across academia, policymaking, education, and the world to broadly examine the use of global innovations in education in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as well as the ways in which they are adapted (or not) to suit the needs of the environment.

The symposium explored how educators, families and the community react when faced with a slew of imported innovations, and to examine why some innovations stick while others are left by the wayside. Finally, the symposium welcomed contributions on local innovations to further regional scholarship and programs.

Professor David Guile is a Professor of Education and Work at the Institute of Education, University of London, who delivered the keynote speech on “The Knowledge Economy, Creativity and “Projectification”: Reconceptualising the Role of, and the Relation between, Professional and Vocational Learning in the Gulf States.” Other topics covered at the conference include: education reforms in Bahrain, technology & innovation, student participation in education: trends & reactions, systems & standards in the GCC countries, transforming science curricula, teaching pathways: challenges & opportunities, trends & innovations in higher education, adapting & innovating education in the GCC, and the state of science education in Bahrain.

Speaker

David Guile

Professor David Guile is a Professor of Education and Work at the Institute of Education, University of London. There, he is a founding member of the United Kingdom's Education and Social Research Council-funded Research Centre - Learning and Life-chances in Knowledge Economies and Societies (LLAKES), and Programme Leader for the MA Lifelong Learning, which has European Union Erasmus Mundus funding for scholarships for international students. David is interested in the role of professional, vocational and workplace learning in the knowledge economy.

Keynotes and Guest Speakers

Hisham bin Abdulaziz Al Khalifa

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Kevin Simpson

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Dr. Majid bin Ali Al-Naimi

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Hisham bin Abdulaziz Al Khalifa

Sheikh Hisham bin Abdulaziz Al Khalifa studied in the Kingdom of Bahrain and completed his university studies at St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas, obtaining a Bachelor of Business and Marketing. He has also represented the Ministry of Education and worked together with various educational institutions, including Ibn Khaldun International School in 2008, and was appointed Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Bahrain in 2008 AD, and the Board of Directors of Riffa Views School 2008- 2009, and the Board of Directors of Bahrain Bayan in 2009 AD. He was also appointed as the head of the administration of Sheikha Hessa School in 2009, and as a member of the Supreme Council of Health in 2012.

Kevin Simpson

Kevin Simpson has an impressive experience of 14 years in education with K-16 roles ranging from teacher, specialist, lead teacher, mentor, coordinator, adjunct professor, entrepreneur and consultant. He has taught a range of grade levels and content areas. For the last seven years, Simpson has focused on mathematics. He has also worked all over the United States as a teacher trainer with the United States Department of Education and has served in Laos, Thailand, Lebanon, Qatar, Egypt, and Dubai with international schools, professional development providers, Ministries of Education, and accreditation organizations. In 2007, Simpson started KDSL or Know Do Serve Learn. This group partners with education organizations worldwide to increase student achievement, teacher knowledge, and leadership

Dr. Majid bin Ali Al-Naimi

His Excellency Majed bin Ali Al-Naimi is the head of the National Archive Center and the former Minister of Education of Bahrain. Al-Naimi holds a Doctorate of Economic History from the University of Wales, a Master of Military Science from the Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College, a Master of Gulf History from Ain Shams University in Egypt, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Kuwait University.

Program & Schedule

The conference is aimed to stimulate discussions on educational reform in the GCC. This program provides a platform for current and future research that explores achievements, challenges and pitfalls in education. As the education landscape continues to change, it is important to explore the way former education-related practices influence how education is practiced now and in the future.

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