2021 WISE Summit addresses EdTech challenges in the MENA region

The way that EdTech is transforming education for learners in the MENA region – how it can influence and upskill the learning process – was discussed during the second day of the 2021 WISE Summit, organized by Qatar Foundation’s global education initiative.

The session, titled EdTech in the MENA Region: Addressing Both Basic and Recent Needs, was a part of the inaugural Youth Studio, which sees young changemakers in education aim to raise the voices of the youth, helping them to reshape education around the world.

Among speakers in the session was Yahya Bouhlel, Founder & CEO, Go My Code, who spoke about establishing his educational platform, and the challenges he faced – especially in terms of investments in the EdTech field.

“I think when it comes to investment in EdTech, the MENA region is still behind, compared to what is happening in China and the US,” he said. “And the reason is that investment in education is a much long-term investment, whereas a lot of investors or start-ups look for fast returns.”

The discussion, moderated by Mohammed Al-Janahi, Head of Outreach, Teach For Qatar, also saw Eman Al Kuwari, Head of Emerging Technology, MICT Qatar, share her views on the EdTech landscape in Qatar.

“I agree that investment in education is a long term one, but Qatar has a comprehensive view to transform itself into a smart, technology-based country, taking into consideration what the job market will look like in the future, and the jobs that it will need.

“We realized the need to nurture our young people today in order to achieve the optimal outcomes in the future,” she said.

Al Kuwari also highlighted the efforts that MICT is doing to further EdTech, which includes establishing 5/6 Studio – a Fab Lab that helps the youth become digital learners by sharpening their learning skills, and enabling them to become future creators of technology.

According to Al Kuwari, this program has helped to address the lack of EdTech educational content in the Arabic language compared to global educational content.

“We worked in Studio 6/5 to translate all the lessons we offer in digital manufacturing and emerging technology, into Arabic and English, and published them on the SCOPES-DF, which is a global and open platform for educators in digital manufacturing and those who are interested in this field.

“We managed to publish more than 70 lessons in digital manufacturing in both languages, and we were the first to introduce Arabic language into this platform. We are looking forward to seeing more collaborations that aim to enhance the presence of Arabic language in this field.”

Bouhlel also spoke about the impact that localizing the education content in the digital field creates on the youth, and how studying content in their first language can facilitate and accelerate the learning process. “It is interesting because the theme of the conference is unmuting the voices of the youth, so it is simple, you just need to ask the students. And that’s what we did,” he said.