(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
New York: Education Above All (EAA) Foundation and Silatech hosted four major side events to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), at the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
The events brought together over 400 leaders, experts, youth, and academics, and highlighted the importance of funding education, remote work, climate change education, and AI, in providing marginalised and vulnerable communities around the world with opportunities to improve their lives.
Together, these events have made significant contributions to advancing several SDGs in developing countries, including SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
The events were:“The Precarious Role of AI in the Effort to Provide Inclusive, Equitable Access to Higher Education for the Most Marginalised,” hosted by EAA Foundation's Al Fakhoora programme, the Qatar Fund for Development, and the International Institute of Higher Education, held on September 15;“Investing in climate change and education for a greener future,” hosted by EAA Foundation's Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) Programme and Silatech on September 16;“Unlocking Potential: The Power of Remote Work in Economically Empowering Vulnerable Youth”, hosted by Silatech in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Permanent Mission of Qatar to the United Nations on September 17; and“Elevating Education as a Win-Win for the SDGs,” by EAA Foundation, at the SDG Pavilion on September 19.
EAA Foundation's CEO, Fahad Al Sulaiti unpacked efforts by stakeholders to unlock the potential of young people to thrive in the future world of work and bridge the digital divide using tools to improve learning and increase capacities to navigate the future. Participants included H E David Sengeh, Chief Minister Sierra Leone, Former Minister of Education, SDG4 High-Level Steering & Transforming Education Summit Advisory Committee Co-Chair, Robert Jenkins, Global Director, Education and Adolescent Development, UNICEF, Dr. Luis Benveniste, Global Director for Education, World Bank, and Dr. Hiba Ahmed, Director General, ISFD, Marcos Neto, Director of Sustainable Finance Hub, UNDP, and Manos Antoninis, Director of the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, among others.
Roundtable discussants acknowledged EAA Foundation's contribution and importance and ongoing work supporting education in the developing world. The discussions emphasised the need for innovative solutions in education financing, including through community involvement, private sector partnerships, and exploring new funding sources..
Each event included clear outcomes that the partners will take forward. Follow-up meetings will be held at the WISE Summit, a biennial event fostering innovation in education, to be held in Doha on November 28 to 29.