Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) took part in a recent UNESCO virtual meeting of the Global Education Coalition, held on the sidelines of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 75) in New York. The event, Education During Covid-19 and Beyond: The Global Education Coalition in Action was by the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay and put together heads of states, ministers of education, members of the Coalition and other high-level participants.

The meeting was attended by HBMSUs spokespeople Professor Moustafa Hassan, Vice Chancellor for International Cooperation and Elena Tarasova, Strategic Affairs Manager. The partnership is in line with the universitys efforts to support global endeavours directed at attaining sustainable development goals in education and learning, particularly in light of the unique circumstances the world is going through as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

H.E. Dr Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of HBMSU, said that participation in the global event shows the universitys dedication to extending bridges of international multilateral cooperation that seeks to improve the resiliency of the global education system during and past the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. He insisted that the university, as an active part of the Global Education Coalition, remains to work in line with the UAEs proactive strategy in securing and employing available skills to spur modernisation and creativity, deemed as the fortitude of the sector to change and react to current and coming challenges.

H.E. Al Awar added: Multilateral worldwide cooperation is rising at present as a pressing need to face the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has created widening differences in educational levels around the world. On the other hand, smart learning and distance learning has proven to be the best means to support international efforts aimed at providing a quality, equitable and comprehensive education for all, which makes it imperative to unify capabilities and direct them in harnessing and adapting modern technology to serve the educational system, and to develop it in line with the requirements of the post-corona era.

Al Awar concluded: We are committed to disseminating our successful experiences and their optimal use in the service of the future of education. We are also steadfast to continue innovating and applying new concepts away from the traditional model to create a new generation of graduates attaining their degrees in complete safety and accordance with the highest standards of quality and excellence, following the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Supreme President of the University.

The UNESCO online meeting presented a strategic platform to tackle current developments brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussions closed with members vowing to resume their collective commitment to promoting pluralism, solidarity and cooperation--supporting multilateral action following the current international frameworks and fully using capabilities needed to address current and developing challenges like this pandemic.

The Global Education Coalition, an action-driven by UNESCO to respond to the educational request of COVID-19 that kept 1.6 billion learners worldwide out of the classroom, consists of more than 150 members stewarding major multilateral organizations, civil society, non-profit, private sector, and media organizations, and leading networks and associations. It presents an interactive and dedicated platform helping the education needs of countries based on three main pillars, namely bridging digital and language gaps, empowering teachers, and promoting gender equality.