Her Highness opens WISE 12 Summit

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, has called for a shared global commitment to “education that strengthens the values of truth, justice, and beauty” in the age of Artificial Intelligence, at the opening of the WISE 12 Summit.

The biennial international gathering of education expertise and innovation hosted by QF’s global education initiative WISE – the opening of which was attended by Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, together with ministers and dignitaries – is advancing the conversation on education’s purpose, its role in serving humanity amid rapid technological progress, and how equity, empathy, and human dignity can remain at the core of its future transformation.

Opening the summit, Her Highness delivered a speech focusing on the value and human role of education, especially amid the rapid changes in the field of Artificial Intelligence, saying: “Here at the WISE Summit, we believe that education is not a public sector service like any other; instead, it is an indisputable and inalienable right. It is a fundamental pillar upon which humanity, justice and progress are built. Education should not be treated as a commodity, nor as a privilege, nor as a favor granted from one person to another.”

Her Highness continued: “By placing human values at the heart of the educational process, we embark on a restoration project, both for science and for humanity: for science, by ensuring it does not become a force for harm; and for humanity, by reclaiming the essence of our humanity and dignity. Our shared commitment is an education that strengthens the values of truth, justice, and beauty, and our ultimate goal is a science in service to humanity – science that liberates, not enslaves.”

Under the theme ‘Humanity.io: Human Values at the Heart of Education’, WISE 12 has brought together leaders, policymakers, educators, innovators, and other education stakeholders from around the world to examine how bold but human-centered systemic changes can ensure education remains adaptable, accessible, and relevant for the learners and societies of the present and future.

During WISE 12’s opening session, Her Excellency Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mohammed Al Khater, Minister of Education and Higher Education, said: “We meet in a world where technologies are accelerating to the point where they seem to outpace humanity itself, while in reality they are an extension of humanity’s constant quest for understanding. From this quest, ideas were born.

“From ideas, tools were made, and from these tools, the technology that we today consider a revolution was formed, which is essentially a reflection of the human mind in its attempt to understand, innovate, and leave its mark on this world.

“No matter how the world changes, the ability of nations to progress remains dependent on their ability to keep humanity at the heart of their vision and decisions. When humanity is our starting point and our goal, change becomes a field of expansion and growth, and transformations become opportunities that deepen knowledge and open doors to collaborative actions.”

The two-day summit at Qatar National Convention Centre is exploring key topics including the balance between innovation and culturally responsive approaches in today’s education systems; the integration of AI into K-12 education; innovative strategies in higher education and lifelong learning; advances in edtech; and education’s role in creating economic opportunity and strengthening communities.

Following a performance from Syrian singer-songwriter Faia Younan, who also reflected on being an artist in the age of AI, the opening session saw keynote speaker Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at Google X and now a bestselling author, reflected on why education can be the point at which human values and the technological possibilities of AI align for the good of humanity.

And in a discussion with the opening plenary’s moderator, filmmaker and journalist Amjad Alnour, acclaimed Moroccan-American author Laila Lalami shared her thoughts on how education can safeguard human voices in a time when AI has become a storyteller itself; and intertwining art and education to preserve language, emotion, and empathy in a fast-moving, fast-changing world.

“Storytelling is at the heart of empathy and moral clarity,” Lalami told the audience. “As a species, we have never found a better way to deliver information than through stories.

“What I’ve found over the course of my career is the joy of being able to share with students how to read stories, how to break them down, find wisdom within them, and find what it is about stories that can help us to find moral clarity and improve our ethics.

“There is a lot about storytelling that can develop the mind. It can develop critical thinking ability in a way that learning a single subject can never do.”