ABU DHABI, UAE: 24 January 2023 – The Emirates College for Advanced Education (ECAE) hosted a high-level strategic event titled “Education First under the theme of ‘Power of Educators”. Coinciding with the International Day of Education, the event saw the participation of Her Excellency Sana Suhail, Director General of Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, and Her Excellency Dr. Amna Al Dahak Al Shamsi, Assistant Undersecretary for Care and Capacity Building Sector at the Ministry of Education, members of the Board of Trustees of the College and strategic partners in the education ecosystem, as well as educators, teachers, professors and students.
Participants in the forum discussed the design of future education strategies and programs, and the educational transformation process in the country, in addition to discussing the 'Power of Educators' by developing their skills and providing them with access to continuous learning.

In this occasion, Her Excellency Sarah Yousef Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education & Advanced Technology, Chairwoman of the Emirates Schools Establishment (ESE), and Chairwoman of ECAE board of trustees, affirmed that the educational cadres are the main driver to achieve the educational renaissance in the country, and an important partner in bringing about the qualitative shift required in this important sector.

Her Excellency indicated that the UAE, since its establishment, has paid attention to the development of the education sector to advance the society and enhance the competitiveness of the country in all international indicators. Her Excellency affirmed that the country has made great strides in the competitiveness of the sector and has invested in teachers and enabled them to be innovators and leaders in education.
Her Excellency added, 'We are keen to build effective partnership with all educational cadres and those interested in education, which translated into many educational initiatives aimed at motivating all elements of education and benefiting from their experiences and ideas to achieve the goals of our country and the aspirations of our wise leadership for education.'

Prof. Tan Oon Seng, Director of Center of Research in Child Development, NIE Singapore and member of the ECAE Board of Trustees, underlined in a keynote speech the crucial role of education and educators in the development of a nation, and said: “Teachers are the ones who shape the minds of future professionals, including doctors, engineers, and scientists. Educators are responsible for imparting knowledge, as well as teaching important values, skills, and principles,” 
“As the world is rapidly changing, education needs to move towards more agile and futuristic approaches, to keep up with the demands of the 21st-century workforce. This includes incorporating technology and new teaching methods to enhance the learning experience,” he stressed.
Dr. May Al Taee, the Vice Chancellor of ECAE, underscored the event’s importance in mapping out the future strategic direction of the College “The ECAE is committed to fostering collaboration and partnerships with local and international stakeholders to invest in future-ready educators,” she pointed out. 
“The college trains national educators who can be proud of playing a critical role in their nation's development to translate the visions and directions of our wise leadership to support educational work in the UAE as an honorable and impactful career path and by leading the design and the delivery of evidence-driven and school-based teacher training,” she said.

Dr. Al Taee highlighted the importance of imagining and redesigning the future of education by reviewing modern concepts and visions for education and addressing the concept of flexible schools, sustainable educational environments, the importance of enhancing future skills, and values of tolerance and lifelong learning. She also underscored the role of technology in developing the educational process in the UAE by integrating technology into teaching methods that enhance the learning experience. She concluded by highlighting the importance of the teacher's role and the college's plan for educational development for 2023.
The forum included an interactive discussion reflecting on the theme, ‘Power of Educators circle, which involved H.E. Sana Suhail, Director General of Early Childhood Authority, H.E. Dr. Amna Aldahak Al Shamsi, Acting Assistant Undersecretary - Care & Capacities Building Sector Ministry of Education, Mr. Marwan Al Nemr, Head of Education- LinkedIn Middle East, Mr. Ahmed Ameen Ashur, Education Industry Director at Microsoft, Mr. Mohamed Ba Obaid, Chairman at Abu Dhabi Youth Council and Ms. Shaima Abdallah, Academic Vice Principal- Al Rahba school.

The event also included creative engaging workshops designed with a human centric focus in educational development, and the steps that must be taken to transform the various ideas, suggestions, and initiatives that the workshops concluded into an educational reality that all partners of the education sector participate in achieving.