RIYADH: An international education conference will begin on Sunday in Riyadh to discuss opportunities and challenges facing the sector during moments of crisis.

The three-day International Education Conference 2022 will also examine the opportunities for education development in the Kingdom, incentives for investment in the sector, introduce solutions that help to overcome challenges hindering the sector, improve the efficiency of its institutions, and improve outputs in line with international standards and indicators.

It will be attended by 110 local and 152 international institutions who will take part in over 130 specialist seminars. They are being hosted by the event’s organizers, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education.

Prof. Khalid M. Al-Wahibee, the vice chairman of the conference’s scientific committee, said: “This conference follows the COVID-19 pandemic during which education across all nations encountered significant obstacles, resulting in the interruption and suspension of the education process. It also highlights what governments have offered to overcome the challenges to ensure the continuation of education.”

He told Arab News: “Saudi Arabia was successful in dealing with the pandemic and provided the world with a distinct model that allowed education to continue without interruption. Thus, the theme of the conference came to highlight global experiences in dealing with this event as well as to plan for the future, particularly in terms of education technologies and innovation.”

The event comes as many countries relax the restrictions imposed during the pandemic.

Al-Wahibee said the key topics and themes for the conference came from its title, “Education in Crisis: Possibilities and Challenges.”

On Sunday, there will be a session on education policies in times of challenge with the participation of Saudi Education Minister Hamad Al-Sheikh, his Egyptian counterpart Tareq Shawki and UAE counterpart Hussain Al-Hammadi, British Prime Minister’s Special Representative to Saudi Arabia for Education Steve Smith, and Global Director for Education at the World Bank Jaime Saavedra.

On Monday, Prof. Stefania Giannini, assistant director general for education at UNESCO, will address digital transformation and innovation in education, factors that determine student performance in e-learning, and the application of AI in teaching and learning. There will also be a review of Saudi Arabia’s e-learning experience.