The sixth annual World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) is kicking off tomorrow in Doha.

Along with Alice Albright, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Partnership for Education, I am looking forward to what looks to be an interesting and dynamic summit.

If the provisional program is any indication of the quality of conversations and debates that will take place this week, participants will be able to engage in productive—and at times provocative—conversations on the challenges we face in providing quality education to all.

WISE – a forum for experts, innovators, educators and more

Chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, WISE is known for challenging conventional approaches in education. This reputation alone draws a very diverse array of actors to the summit:  United Nations and government officials, corporate CEOs, young social entrepreneurs, teachers, journalists, and academics. These education stakeholders travel from around the world to take part in the engaging agenda that sets WISE apart.

This year’s theme, Creativity at the Heart of Education, challenges participants to consider creative approaches to education. From the design and implementation of programs, to designing curricula and measuring and assessing what children are learning, this year’s agenda is extremely relevant to our work at the Global Partnership for Education. The relevance of these discussions is even more poignant now, as we review the unfinished agenda of Education for All and look forward to the next agenda after 2015.

Sessions on education in crisis countries

I am looking forward to joining several of the conversations at WISE. The Education Above All debates, a series of panels throughout the Summit organized by the Education Above All Foundation, this year address critical topics on education in the post -2015 agenda, including one on education in crisis and humanitarian disasters. A workshop on teacher professional development in fragile contexts is also a critical piece we need to dig in deeper, particularly as many of our partner countries face challenges in recruiting, retaining and supporting good quality teachers.

With so many creative minds around the table, I hope we will be able to genuinely grapple with these complicated issues, and discuss how to better help our partner countries strengthen and prepare their own systems for crises and conflict situations.

Quality and equity in education

Education quality and equity are also important themes during WISE and so I look forward to the debate on empowering teachers for creativity.  Another Education Above All debate will address the challenges involved in reaching the most disadvantaged. With so much at stake for young women in our world—just remember the kidnapping of Nigerian girls by Boko Haram or Malala’s indefatigable advocacy for access to quality schools—I hope that this session considers the special challenges girls face because of  gender bias and discrimination in education.

Alice Albright on panel of post-2015 session

I am particularly looking forward to the plenary session the morning of November 5, where the goal of ensuring that all children have access to quality schooling will be discussed. Alice Albright will be joining the panel and will speak on the urgency of ensuring strong attention to equity and financing in the post-2015 agenda in order to reach every child with a good quality education. She is committed to engaging in an honest discussion about the results we’ve achieved as an education community as well as how to move forward. You can join the discussion on Wednesday at #WISE2014.

WISE Prize to be announced

And finally, I look forward to the announcement of the 2014 WISE Prize Laureates. The WISE Prize honors individuals or teams that have made significant contributions to improving education around the globe. Last year, Vicky Colbert, the co-creator behind Escuela Nueva, was awarded the prize which made us proud as the Global Partnership is helping to support the Escuela Nueva program in Vietnam, one of our partner countries. This year, the winner was chosen by a group of distinguished judges, including Julia Gillard, the Chair of the GPE Board of Directors.

What’s next?

There are many more interesting panels, workshops, meet-ups and discussions scheduled throughout the two days. I hope that participants will use the summit as a unique platform for honest discussions. It’s a perfect place to identify and develop cross-institutional synergies to realize our common goal of making education a reality for all.

As Her Highness Sheikha Moza provoked the audience during a Global Education First Initiative event recently, “the possibilities are endless…so what are we waiting for?” (read her full speech)