About our events
About our events
Events are more than just about meeting in physical space. At WISE we do not take chance meetings for granted, a connection with the right person or a conversation about a new idea could significantly impact your life as well as the lives of those around you. Being with people face to face means that you can connect deeply and learn about unexpected things. We are proud to hear about countless stories of chance meetings, partnerships and new collaborations that have sprung out of these events.
A WISE event means that you will find yourself in a special atmosphere, shoulder to shoulder amongst students, entrepreneurs, ministers, authors, celebrities, mothers, fathers, education leaders, teachers, politicians and more. These people are from all over the world and each of them has a story to tell, with a firm belief that education has a role in the future of their story.
A WISE event means that you won’t be sitting down and passively listening to a speech. A variety of formats will challenge you to think beyond your comfort zone, they will give you the chance to express yourself and connect with others. We are dedicated to ensuring the quality of these experiences and maintaining a high calibre of knowledge for you to understand. There are a lot of people out there who have tirelessly worked at their ideas, and there are organizations that have had to shift their position so many times before finally finding success. These practices and ideas are carefully curated together from around the world so that you can find what is right for you.
WISE Summit: Our flagship event in Doha, Qatar
WISE 11, the 11th edition of the WISE Summit, took place on 28-29 November 2023. Experts and innovators from around the globe convened together with purpose and urgency to tackle current education challenges with concrete solutions.
If we want to take collaborative action for quality education, there needs to be a physical catalyst for change. The biennial WISE Summit is where over 2,000 people get together to engage in important debates and discussions on the full range of pressing education challenges. It is a unique opportunity for teachers, decision makers, and influential experts from all fields of public and private sectors to gather in a collegial environment. It is where people harness their experiences and minds to address evolving education challenges.
Since 2009, the WISE Summit has been the premier international, multi-sectoral conference dedicated to building the future of education through empowerment and partnership. Held in the heart of Doha, Qatar, it has become a physical node connecting people from all walks of life.
When you come to the WISE Summit you will be part of a diverse community committed to building strong, prosperous, and secure societies through education. As a participant you will be actively shaping the discussions and challenged in interactive sessions and dynamic workshops. Another major feature of the Summit is the WISE Majlis, based on the traditional Arabic ‘majlis’ gathering space for meeting, sitting, talking, and eating. It is where informal interactions happen alongside participatory chats, learning labs, and kiosks from our active communities in Qatar.
You will meet the faces behind the initiatives changing the landscape of learning. These are people that have earned winning positions in the WISE Awards, enterprises that have grown considerably with the WISE Accelerator, or young changemakers and professionals paving the way in our Learners’ Voice and WISE Emerging Leaders programs. You will learn about the latest research findings directly from the people who made them. A highlight of the event is the announcement of the WISE Prize Laureate, a world-class recognition of an individual or a team for their outstanding contribution to any field of education.
WISE@: Our global forums
Every city has brought its own unique character and flavour to the WISE formula. Since 2016 WISE@ has been to Tunis, Beijing, Madrid, Accra, New York City, and most recently in Paris.
There are two major reasons why global WISE@ forums happen:
Accessibility: not everyone can make to the WISE Summit, so we want to go straight into the hearts of different cities around the world in order to exchange knowledge and experiences with locals and regional partners.
Patience: it is simply too difficult to wait till the next Summit, so we have three WISE@ forums in between the biennial Summits in order to fulfill our work and our global community.
When you come to the WISE Summit you will be part of a diverse community committed to building strong, prosperous, and secure societies through education. As a participant you will be actively shaping the discussions and challenged in interactive sessions and dynamic workshops. Another major feature of the Summit is the WISE Majlis, based on the traditional Arabic ‘majlis’ gathering space for meeting, sitting, talking, and eating. It is where informal interactions happen alongside participatory chats, learning labs, and kiosks from our active communities in Qatar.
You will find an inspiring mix of global and local experiences blended to give you relevant and useful knowledge of best educational practices and ideas for collaboration and action.
Here you will find the same community committed to building strong, prosperous, and secure societies through education. WISE@’s happen on a smaller scale, which means that as a participant you will have a prominent role in actively partaking in discussions and being challenged in all of the interactive sessions and workshops.
Around the World: Putting education at the forefront
It isn’t enough to be speaking to the education community, we need to be bringing education to other industries and movements around the world. WISE partners and participates in a wide range of local and international events and forums. These engagements are key to making sure that education is high on the agenda for decision-makers and thought leaders.
We believe that if we work together with people across disciplines and industries, we can come up with better solutions to the pressing education challenges of today.