WISE Connects Global Educators in Latin America

Medellin was host to one of the largest educational events in Latin America when they held the GEF & WISE @ Medellin international summit to support strengthening the global educational ecosystem and promote collaboration between societies.

Organized by the Global Education Forum (GEF), an initiative of Universidad Camilo José Cela and SEK Education Group in Madrid, and WISE, an initiative of Qatar Foundation (QF), the event focused on Colombia and Latin America. Themed “Beyond Education: Involving a Whole Society in Learning”, it featured more than twenty panels with nearly 100 speakers and brought together over 800 international participants with expertise in the field of education, including scholars, educators, and thought leaders.

Stavros Yiannouka, CEO of WISE, emphasized the relevance of the initiative, saying:

“We have taken a key step in helping to boost Latin America’s education landscape and show it for what it is: a reference region for the development of new learning models and ecosystems. And this is also particularly evident in the case of Colombia and Medellín, due to their projects to advance the future of education.

“This summit is a great example of WISE’s mission as an organization that promotes and supports innovation in education in all its aspects.”

Nieves Segovia, President of Universidad Camilo José Cela and SEK Education Group, highlighted the importance of the discussions that were held with the speakers.

“The quality of the experts gathered today has allowed us to chart new paths for the educational models of the future and has provided us with a very valuable global vision for the development of new ideas for education”, she said.

“In a context of constant change, we must promote the collaboration of all the agents involved in teaching and learning. Today we have managed to be the great meeting point for everyone.”

A session within the event, led by WISE’s Agile Leaders of Learning Innovation Network, a global community of educational leadership experts, initiated the consultations for UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2024. The session sparked a meaningful dialogue centered around the topic of leadership in education to gather valuable input and observations on the evolving requirements of effective leadership in education across different countries and over time.

Participants were encouraged to actively engage in upcoming regional and thematic consultations around visions and goals that are driving leadership in education, and how external factors can impact effective leadership, as well as the policy levers. These consultations are part of a collaborative endeavor to shape the future of education leadership. By joining these consultations, participants can contribute their insights and perspectives, ultimately influencing the direction and priorities of education leadership in the future.

Building on the momentum from the Medellín summit, WISE is gearing up to take the conversation to a broader, global stage at the WISE Summit 2023 from 28-29 November. The summit is set to feature an engaging lineup of speakers, panels, and workshops that will explore the future of education, learning ecosystems, entrepreneurship, sustainability, learning and well-being, and education and leadership, among other key themes.