DOHA, Qatar, November 13, 2014—The Qatar Foundation’s WISE Program for Education Leadership held its 5th annual leadership workshop in Doha, Qatar from November 1 – 3, 2014. The WISE Program for Education Leadership was launched at the Qatar Foundation’s inaugural World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) in 2009 to enhance leadership skills and strengthen international networks for emerging university presidents and higher education leaders around the world. The WISE Program is administered in partnership with the Institute of International Education.
Seventeen recently-appointed Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and Presidents from seventeen developing countries, identified as exemplary emerging higher education leaders, were selected to take part in a rigorous three-day training workshop. The countries represented at this year’s program were: Cameroon, Columbia, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Liberia, Mexico, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Zimbabwe. The Program was facilitated by a variety of experts from the WISE community and included experience-based training, panel discussions, one-on-one leadership consulting, and an opportunity for the exchange of experiences and best practices.
Since 2010, the WISE Program for Education Leadership has worked with dozens of new university presidents from developing countries to equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to exercise leadership in a wide variety of institutional, social, political, and economic contexts. This year’s program incorporated an additional focus on innovation and creativity, and supported university leaders in identifying a specific “innovation” that could be implemented at their institution within a year.
This year, in addition to the training workshop, WISE program participants were invited to attend the annual WISE Summit, which took place from November 4 – 6, in Doha, providing a unique opportunity to network with other distinguished university presidents from selected developing world regions, in addition to a wide range of experts from diverse education sectors. The three-day Summit focused on putting creativity at the heart of education through collaborative debate and discussion on key challenges facing education around the world.
The key themes addressed during the WISE Program for Education Leadership include: effective communication; the importance of leadership in adversity; and understanding different leadership styles. The WISE Program trainers and mentors explored these themes with the participants and worked together to identify goals and objectives that they hoped to address in the coming year. The experience helped equip higher education leaders with the necessary tools and resources to have a lasting, positive impact on their respective university communities.
The four previous WISE Programs for Education Leadership have resulted in a peer network of education leaders that facilitates communication and interaction on shared challenges and potential solutions.
The nineteen selected participants for the 2014 WISE Program for Education Leadership are:
- Abood Al Sawafi, A’Sharqiyah University, Oman
- Isaac Asuzu, Imat College, Sierra Leone
- Ahmed Chaalal, Universite de la Formation Continue, Algeria
- Wilhelmina Donkoh, Garden City University College, Ghana
- Stephen Agong Gaya, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Kenya
- Rafael Guerrero Arteaga, Centro de Estudios Superiores de San Angel-Cessa Unviersidad, Mexico
- Mathew Basung Gwanfogbe, Bamenda University of Science and Technology, Cameroon
- Joseph Isaac, AME University. Liberia
- Quinton Chamunorwa Kanhukamwe, Harare Institute of Technology, Zimbabwe
- Adem Borri Ondakie, Samara University, Ethiopia
- Frederick Ochieng Otieno, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya
- Chailerd Pichitpornchai, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Thailand
- Gandolgor Purevjav, Ganabell, University of Success, Mongolia
- Rafael Antonio Sanchez Paris, El Bosque, Columbia
- Gamini Senanayake, University of Ruhana, Sri Lanka
- Attualah Shah, City University of Science and Information Technology, Pakistan
- Parveen Naeem Shah, Shah Abdul Latif University, Pakistan
- Chindi Vasudevappa, University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, India
- Than Win, Kalay University, Myanmar
This year’s program will be led by a number of experts in the field of global higher education, and includes:
- Ashwin Assomull, Partner, The Parthenon GroupMarwan Awartani, President, Palestine Technical University
- Patrick Awuah Jr., Founder and President, Ashesi University
- Wilfred Brewer, President, Performance Solutions Group
- Mervi Jannson-Aalto, Director, Education Partnerships, InnoOmnia
- Allan E. Goodman, President and CEO, Institute of International Education
- Shigeo Katsu, President, Nazarbayey University
- Mahboob Mahmood, CEO, Knowledge Platforms
About the WISE Program for Education Leadership
The WISE Program for Education Leadership emerged from the 2009 World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) as a vehicle to provide first-rate preparatory training and a forum for the sharing of knowledge for educational leaders from throughout the world, especially those who have been newly appointed and are in developing countries. The participants are identified through the networks of WISE and are selected through an application process.
About the WISE Initiative
WISE is an initiative of Qatar Foundation, under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser, with a mission to address the urgent challenges and powerful economic, demographic and technological pressures facing 21st-century education. The annual WISE Summit brings together eminent decision-makers and thought-leaders from multiple sectors to generate dialogue, seek innovative solutions, raise awareness of the importance of learning, and inspire actions which will make a real difference to the lives of people across the globe. WISE is also a year-round platform and forum for the sharing of experience and best practices. Qatar Foundation’s partners in WISE are: Association of Commonwealth Universities, Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie, International Association of University Presidents, Institute of International Education, RAND Corporation, and UNESCO.
About the Institute of International Education
The Institute of International Education is a world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. An independent, not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has a network of 19 offices and affiliates worldwide and over 1,200 member institutions. IIE designs and implements programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals and trainees from all sectors with funding from government agencies, foundations, and corporations. IIE also conducts policy research and program evaluations, and provides advising and counseling on international education and opportunities abroad. The WISE Program is administered by the Institute of International Education and the International Association of University Presidents.
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