Deputised by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Dr. Mohammed bin Mubarak Juma, Minister of Education, has participated in the distribution ceremony of the UNESCO-King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Education.
The award-distribution ceremony of the 2022 edition was co-organised by the Ministry of Education and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) at the latter’s premises here, in the presence of Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO, senior UNESCO officials, officials of the ministries of education from various countries, ambassadors, media personnel, ICT researchers and experts and Bahraini students studying at French universities.
Addressing the ceremony, Stefania Giannini praised the prestigious award and the reputation it has gained over the past 14 editions, commending Bahrain’s interest in and great support for the prize.
Then, Education Minister, Dr. Juma, delivered a speech in which he conveyed greetings from His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to those present, as well as their congratulations to UNESCO officials, the prize jury and the laureates.
The minister also congratulated the prize winners who had been chosen among 95 nominees from 56 countries, for the contribution of their projects to enhancing digital education, which reflects the growing reputation of the award.
Dr. Juma affirmed the kingdom's firm support for UNESCO’s programmes and studies, commending the efforts exerted by Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, to promote human cultural heritage and ensure that every child receives a quality education.
He reiterated Bahrain’s pride in its distinguished partnership with UNESCO over many years, resulting in the launch of the UNESCO-King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of ICTs in Education, and the inauguration of the Regional Centre for Information and Communication Technology (RCICT), which is headquartered in the kingdom. He added that Bahrain has benefitted from UNESCO’s expertise in developing its educational system and enhancing learning strategies.
The ceremony featured a film prepared by the Ministry of Education about education in Bahrain and the UNESCO-King Hamad Prize, in addition to local and international musical pieces and melodies performed by the student orchestra band in the Kingdom.
Then, the Education Minister and UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education conferred the prize on the winners of the 14th edition, themed “The use of public platforms to ensure inclusive access to digital education content.”
The prize was presented to Niall Collins, Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and Ross Woods, Senior Manager at National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education at Higher Education Authority (Platform) in the Republic of Ireland for the “National Resource Hub” project, run by the Platform.
It was also presented to Chen Jie, the Vice Minister of Education in China, and Ping Li, Director-General of the National Centre for Educational Technology (Centre) for the “Smart Education of China” run by the Centre.
Niall Collins, Irish Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, delivered a statement in which he lauded Bahrain’s interest in allocating a prize devoted to ICT in education, praising its keenness on its continuity.
Ping Li, Director-General of the National Centre for Educational Technology also addressed the ceremony. She praised the prize’s goals and themes. She also extended thanks to the kingdom for its constant support for the prize.
Source: Bahrain News Agency