Rahmatullah, 10, poses in a classroom at Shahid Niamatullah Primary School in Panjwayi district, formerly occupied by ISAF and the Afghan National Police. Having lost his father to the war, he says he continues to hear the sounds of bullets at night. All photos by Stefanie Glinski
Rahmatullah, 10, poses in a classroom at Shahid Niamatullah Primary School in Panjwayi district, formerly occupied by ISAF and the Afghan National Police. Having lost his father to the war, he says he continues to hear the sounds of bullets at night. All photos by Stefanie Glinski
Students sit in their classroom at Assad Suri Primary School in Kandahar's Zhari District. Many of the buildings have been destroyed in airstrikes and by blasts, leaving classrooms exposed and bullet riddled. Part of the school continues to be occupied by the local police.
Students sit in their classroom at Assad Suri Primary School in Kandahar's Zhari District. Many of the buildings have been destroyed in airstrikes and by blasts, leaving classrooms exposed and bullet riddled. Part of the school continues to be occupied by the local police.
Aisha, 9, (L) sits with her friend Rapia, 10, at Assad Suri Primary School. The girls are one of the few attending the school, hoping to become teachers themselves one day to teach other girls.
Aisha, 9, (L) sits with her friend Rapia, 10, at Assad Suri Primary School. The girls are one of the few attending the school, hoping to become teachers themselves one day to teach other girls.
Students sit in their classroom at Assad Suri Primary School in Kandahar's Zhari District.
Students sit in their classroom at Assad Suri Primary School in Kandahar's Zhari District.
Students sit in their classroom at Assad Suri Primary School in Kandahar's Zhari District.
Students sit in their classroom at Assad Suri Primary School in Kandahar's Zhari District.
Once a classroom, now the police dormitory at Assad Suri Primary School in Kandahar's Zhari District. Many of the buildings have been destroyed in airstrikes and by blasts.
Once a classroom, now the police dormitory at Assad Suri Primary School in Kandahar's Zhari District. Many of the buildings have been destroyed in airstrikes and by blasts.
Students sit in their classroom at Assad Suri Primary School in Kandahar's Zhari District.
Students sit in their classroom at Assad Suri Primary School in Kandahar's Zhari District.
Students sit in their classroom at Assad Suri Primary School in Kandahar's Zhari District. Many of the buildings have been destroyed in airstrikes and by blasts, leaving classrooms exposed and bullet riddled. Part of the school continues to be occupied by the local police.
Students sit in their classroom at Assad Suri Primary School in Kandahar's Zhari District. Many of the buildings have been destroyed in airstrikes and by blasts, leaving classrooms exposed and bullet riddled. Part of the school continues to be occupied by the local police.
Boys make their way home after school as Assad Suri Primary School.
Boys make their way home after school as Assad Suri Primary School.
Children peak through a classroom window at Shahid Niamatullah Primary School in Panjwayi district, formerly occupied by ISAF and the Afghan National Police.
Children peak through a classroom window at Shahid Niamatullah Primary School in Panjwayi district, formerly occupied by ISAF and the Afghan National Police.
Boys make their way home after school as Assad Suri Primary School.
Boys make their way home after school as Assad Suri Primary School.
Aisha, 9, says she is not afraid to attend Assad Suri Primary Schools, as many girls aren't able to receive an education at all and this is her only option.
Aisha, 9, says she is not afraid to attend Assad Suri Primary Schools, as many girls aren't able to receive an education at all and this is her only option.
Children sit in a classroom at Shahid Niamatullah Primary School in Panjwayi district, formerly occupied by ISAF and the Afghan National Police.
Children sit in a classroom at Shahid Niamatullah Primary School in Panjwayi district, formerly occupied by ISAF and the Afghan National Police.

Expo 2020

Global summit aims to entirely reshape education at Expo 2020 Dubai

RewirEd gathering will bring together the most influential global minds on teaching

Georgia Tolley
Georgia Tolley

October 07, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

LIVE BLOG: Latest coverage from Expo 2020 Dubai

The world's most influential thinkers on education will be brought together at Expo 2020 Dubai, to come up with a new style of teaching.

The RewirEd global education summit will focus on how to entirely change the way children are educated, in order to create make the system fit for purpose for the 21st century.

We need a new approach towards education. The system that we have today is the same system that was set 100 to 150 years ago
Tariq Al Gurg,
Dubai Cares

Current learning systems are just not working anymore, Tariq Al Gurg, the chief executive of Dubai Cares, told The National, as he introduced the summit's agenda and speakers at the launch on Tuesday.

"We need a new approach towards education. The system that we have today is the same system that was set, 100 to 150 years ago. Hardly anything has changed, and it is not viable anymore," said Mr Al Gurg.

"Why can't we have a system that can be customised, a system that can be sustained for the future and the changes that are happening to the world, whether they are technological advancements, or the way we think.

"The children of today, the youth of today, they are into technology, and smartphones and applications.

"We have to marry the new education system with what the children like, because you can't force children to learn on a system that is 100 years old."

A system in crisis

Even before the pandemic education was in crisis. According to UNESCO, 617 million young people lack basic math and literacy skills, while by 2030, 200 million children are projected to have no schooling at all and only 60 percent will complete secondary education.

Experts believe the widespread disruption of children’s studies by the pandemic will further increase the disparities in education.

Learning opportunities will be further reduced for girls, as well as for those living in poor or rural areas, those living with disabilities, refugees and those forcibly displaced.

Tariq Al Gurg, the chief executive of Dubai Cares, the UAE charity organising the RewirEd global education summit at Expo 2020 Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Tariq Al Gurg, the chief executive of Dubai Cares, the UAE charity organising the RewirEd global education summit at Expo 2020 Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The RewirEd summit will be hosted at Expo 2020 Dubai as part of the Knowledge and Learning Week from December 12 to 14 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre on site at the world's fair.

For the first time since the pandemic, heads of states, ministers, high profile speakers, international NGOs, academia, young people and representatives from the public and private sectors from around the world will come together to figure out a new way forward in the education sector.

Key international organisations involved in the RewirEd Summit include UNICEF, UNESCO, UNHCR, the World Economic Forum (WEF), the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the World Food Programme (WFP), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank.

In-person speakers will include the former President of Tanzania, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete; Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Co-operation and director general of Expo 2020 Dubai; and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is currently the UN's Special Envoy for Global Education.

Education for a post-pandemic world

Mr Al Gurg said the pandemic had starkly illustrated the need for a change, and that is why the Dubai Cares pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai puts a spotlight on the transformative power of childhood education

"Not every household experienced Covid-19, but nearly every household experienced an interruption in their children's education. We're talking about something everybody needs.

"In the past, there was no technological advancement, but now, with all the technological advancements, with all the wars, with all the natural disasters and the pandemics and epidemics, we need to have a new approach towards education.

"Look at the refugees, if we think we can take the current systems and use them to teach refugees - we can't."

Pictured at the Dubai Cares pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai: Omar Shehadeh, chief international participants officer at Expo 2020 Dubai, Jessie Ng, vice president – strategy & growth, Pico International and Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, commissioner general for the Dubai Cares Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai and chief executive at Dubai Cares. Courtesy, Dubai Cares
Pictured at the Dubai Cares pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai: Omar Shehadeh, chief international participants officer at Expo 2020 Dubai, Jessie Ng, vice president – strategy & growth, Pico International and Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, commissioner general for the Dubai Cares Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai and chief executive at Dubai Cares. Courtesy, Dubai Cares
The 1,000 sq/m pavilion will be located in the Opportunity District within Expo 2020 Dubai and spread over two levels.. Courtesy, Dubai Cares
The 1,000 sq/m pavilion will be located in the Opportunity District within Expo 2020 Dubai and spread over two levels.. Courtesy, Dubai Cares
The pavilion will also include an area for student workshops, to discuss the future of education. Courtesy, Dubai Cares
The pavilion will also include an area for student workshops, to discuss the future of education. Courtesy, Dubai Cares
The Dubai Cares pavilion aims to be immersive and engaging, and to lead visitors through a journey of understanding around the transformative power of education. Courtesy, Dubai Cares
The Dubai Cares pavilion aims to be immersive and engaging, and to lead visitors through a journey of understanding around the transformative power of education. Courtesy, Dubai Cares
Immersive zones will lead visitors to discuss the future of work, and the skill children need to succeed. Courtesy, Dubai Cares
Immersive zones will lead visitors to discuss the future of work, and the skill children need to succeed. Courtesy, Dubai Cares
The Dubai Cares pavilion is designed with both adult and children in mind. Courtesy, Dubai Cares
The Dubai Cares pavilion is designed with both adult and children in mind. Courtesy, Dubai Cares
The entrance to the Dubai Cares pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Courtesy, Dubai Cares
The entrance to the Dubai Cares pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Courtesy, Dubai Cares

Omar Shehadeh, chief international participants officer at Expo 2020 Dubai, said, “The world is witnessing an unprecedented disruption of educational systems. Creative thinking, innovative solutions and technology must be deployed to ensure quality education for all.

"The RewirEd Summit, which is the flagship event during Expo2020 Dubai’s Knowledge and Learning Week, provides a platform to spark conversation among different people in efforts to generate new ideas on how to tackle the future of education.”

Read more

Dubai Cares chief says global community must act to defend children’s education

Healing the education sector after Covid-19

The summit will be organised around three topics - Youth, skills and the future of work; Innovation in education; and Education financing.

Cutting across the three principles, there will also be a focus on where the need is greatest – namely countries affected by crisis, whether that is war or Covid-19.

Registration for the summit is now open to everyone, because the organisers of RewirEd believe that education is everybody’s business. Attendees can register online.

Meet the child star of Expo 2020 Dubai's opening ceremony

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Stage 5 results

1 Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 3:48:53

2 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team -

3 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott - 

4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ  0:00:04

5 Ilnur Zakarin (RUS) CCC Team 0:00:07

General Classification:

1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 20:35:04

2 Tadej Pogacar (SlO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:01

3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 0:01:33

4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:48

5 Rafał Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:02:11

The specs

Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm

Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km

The details

Heard It in a Past Life

Maggie Rogers

(Capital Records)

3/5

THE BIO

Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13 

Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier

Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife 

What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents. 

Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

While you're here
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Six large-scale objects on show
  • Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
  • The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
  • A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
  • Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
  • A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
  • Torrijos Palace dome
On Women's Day
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
On Women's Day
The%20Iron%20Claw
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sean%20Durkin%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zac%20Efron%2C%20Jeremy%20Allen%20White%2C%20Harris%20Dickinson%2C%20Maura%20Tierney%2C%20Holt%20McCallany%2C%20Lily%20James%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More from Firas Maksad
Tomorrow 2021
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

Whiile you're here
TOUR DE FRANCE INFO

Dates: July 1-23
Distance: 3,540km
Stages: 21
Number of teams: 22
Number of riders: 198

UAE WARRIORS RESULTS

Featherweight

Azouz Anwar (EGY) beat Marcelo Pontes (BRA)

TKO round 2

Catchweight 90kg

Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) beat Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)

Split points decision

Welterweight

Gimbat Ismailov (RUS) beat Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR)

TKO round 1

Flyweight (women)

Lucie Bertaud (FRA) beat Kelig Pinson (BEL)

Unanimous points decision

Lightweight

Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) beat Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)

TKO round 1

Catchweight 100kg

Marc Vleiger (NED) beat Mohamed Ali (EGY)

Rear neck choke round 1

Featherweight

James Bishop (NZ) beat Mark Valerio (PHI)

TKO round 2

Welterweight

Abdelghani Saber (EGY) beat Gerson Carvalho (BRA)

TKO round 1

Middleweight

Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) beat Igor Litoshik (BLR)

Unanimous points decision

Bantamweight

Fabio Mello (BRA) beat Mark Alcoba (PHI)

Unanimous points decision

Welterweight

Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magomedsultanov (RUS)

TKO round 1

Bantamweight

Trent Girdham (AUS) beat Jayson Margallo (PHI)

TKO round 3

Lightweight

Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) beat Roman Golovinov (UKR)

TKO round 1

Middleweight

Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Steve Kennedy (AUS)

Submission round 2

Lightweight

Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)

TKO round 2

War on waste
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M3%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%2FUSB-4%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206E%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%2F35W%20dual-port%2F70w%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%2C%202%20Apple%20stickers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C599%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE cricketers abroad

Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.

Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.

Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.

hall of shame

SUNDERLAND 2002-03

No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.

SUNDERLAND 2005-06

Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.

HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19

Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.

ASTON VILLA 2015-16

Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.

FULHAM 2018-19

Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.

LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.

BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66

KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Apple product price list

iPad Pro

11" - $799 (64GB)
12.9" - $999 (64GB)

MacBook Air 

$1,199

Mac Mini

$799

Updated: October 07, 2021, 7:14 AM`
Expo 2020 DubaiEducationRefugees