Dubai joins world's major metropolises to discuss future of 'Learning Cities'

Dubai was represented at the event by Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, CEO of Knowledge Village. He was joined by educators and government officials from 15 countries to exchange ideas on how education can serve the greater economic, social and cultural needs of their respective countries.

The discussions centred on developing the concept of a "learning city" and the central role that learning and education can play in the development of a city. The participants brought a wide range of perspectives including governmental policy, development strategy and economic growth to the forum. The event was a precursor to a major international conference to be held in Adelaide in September next year titled "International Education Conference on Sustainable Learning Cities."

"Many cities are putting education on top of their development and economic growth agenda," said Dr. Al Karam. "Dubai has articulated a key role for education in its economic vision and our experience in this regard was received with great interest at the forum. The forum's discussions constructively addressed the challenges and opportunities of international education in the coming years. It was a very productive platform for exchanging experiences, ideas, expertise and knowledge with education leaders from diverse countries," he added.

At the forum, Dr. Al Karam stressed the need for a "Learning City" to foster educational institutions that cater to diverse communities. He told the forum about the experience of Dubai Knowledge Village in creating an international learning community that brought together several global universities, training institutes and learning service providers under one single roof.

The forum on Working Together to Create Learning Cities of the Future was organized by the government of South Australia. Dubai's participation in the event was supported by the Australian Trade Office in Dubai.