Zubair Qureshi
Former Prime Minister of Malaysia Dr Mahathir Mohamad is going to express his views on education and leadership in an exclusive interview with CEO of a private school (Beaconhouse) Kasim Kasuri on Sunday (today) during the 12th edition of the school’s Non-Profit ‘School of Tomorrow.’
The 3-day event will be one of the several organized during the 3-day virtual conference aimed to answer difficult questions for a world facing challenges of the Covid 19 impact on education, economies and a safer, balanced future.
The SOT will be featuring over 60 international thought leaders in 24 live sessions over three days through a series of one-on-one conversations, panel discussions, presentations, workshops and parliamentary-style debates.
In the opening session, Kasim Kasuri, CEO Beaconhouse & Chair of SOT Events, engaged in a candid conversation with students and teachers from Beaconhouse Pakistan, Malaysia, and UAE, supported by Dr Lawrence Burke, Beaconhouse’s Chief Education Advisor.
The panelists discussed the potential intervention of artificial intelligence in schools, discussed the impact of Covid-19 on learning, suggesting that some positive learning must be sustained, and stressed that schools must change in order to prepare students for a future world.
The panel session, ‘Forever the Middle Child: unpacking the ‘Forgotten Years’ of Middle School’ highlighted the need to pay equal attention to the education of middle school students, recognizing a number of social, developmental, and emotional issues that emerge in adolescents. This session brought together middle school students, teachers, and parents to share personal experiences and perspectives.
Panel discussions ran concurrently on topics such as the impact of new US leadership on the world with Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, former Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Sir Tim Hitchens, former British diplomat, and Michael Kugelman, Deputy Director, Asia Program, Wilson Center. Workshops conducted by Iain Rileyand Benjamin W. Decker, meditation expert, explored the development of student agency in schools and mindfulness-based interventions for children to improve cognitive performance showcasing key classroom activities.
The SOT conference paid tribute to the late Sir Ken Robinson, globally renowned thinker on learning innovation and creativity, with panelists discussing how his work has shaped global educational landscapes. The panel discussion featured Lord Jim Knight, Former UK Minister of State for Schools, Professor Dr GerGraus OBE, Global Director of Education, KidZania, Lee Daley, Co-Founder & Chairman, Hello Genius and Cris Rowan, technology specialist.
Another highlight of Day 1 of the SOT Conference was an interview featuring Dr Roger Schank in conversation with Nassir Kasuri, Executive Director of Beaconhouse. Dr Roger Schank, an artificial intelligence researcher and revisionist educator, believes that schools should not exist in their present form and is an outspoken critic of the global education system.
