In remarkable support of digital technology and innovation in expanding access to educators and enhancing the relevance and quality of learning, Huawei and UNESCO honored 12 Egyptian educators in the “The National Competition for Teacher Excellence in Creating Digital Content”, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Technical Education (MoETE) and the Professional Academy for Teachers (PAT).
Alongside the launch, Huawei and UNESCO discussed the main findings of the “2023 UNESCO Global Education Monitoring GEM” report, with the theme “Technology in education: A tool on whose terms?” to emphasize the importance of supporting educators in the digital transformation of education, while presenting the recommendations of the GEM report for the global landscape of education, and specifically, for Egypt.
Among the notable figures present during the ceremony were Dr. Reda Hegazy, Minister of Education and Technical Education, Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Dr. Nuria Sanz, Officer in Charge of the UNESCO Office in Cairo, and Mr. Ma Ben, Managing Director of Public Affairs and Communications Department at Huawei Egypt, in addition to representatives from MoETE, PAT, the National Academy of Information Technology for Persons with Disabilities, Misr El Kheir Foundation, and The Central Department for Digital Community Development at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT).
More than 600 Egyptian educators participated in “The National Competition for Teacher Excellence in Creating Digital Content” highlighting the innovation and digital skills of Egyptian teachers. The winners were honored according to three categories: designing a digital program to enhance the digital capacity of teachers, designing a digital resource for one of the educational concepts or full modules, in addition to developing an interactive test for the Egyptian curricula, and designing a digital resource for teaching lessons for the Egyptian curricula.
Dr. Reda Hegazy, Minister of Education and Technical Education, stated that advanced technology has become a necessity for economic and social development, and even a necessity for national security as well. He emphasized the importance of building capacities to achieve digital transformation, which requires educators who are proficient in dealing with the mechanisms of the era and mastering the use of advanced modern technology. He also stressed the importance of integrating technology into the educational system, to provide an advanced, non-traditional educational system, so students can build their educational knowledge by utilizing the multiple and diverse technological sources of knowledge to access information independently, improve the quality of education, and increase its effectiveness.
On his part, Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, highlighted the numerous areas of cooperation between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and the Ministry of Education, with the aim of achieving a shared vision that utilizes technology to develop the education system, in which the teacher plays a fundamental role. He explained that a joint committee has been formed between the two ministries, to develop the curricula of information technology across all stages of education. Dr. Talaat further stated that the upcoming phase aims to integrate technology into all curricula that students receive, noting that a scientific committee has been established to review all the curricula to ensure they are well prepared for the next academic year.
Dr. Nuria Sanz, Officer in Charge of the UNESCO Office in Cairo, said: “At UNESCO, we are pleased to continue our cooperation with the leading technology company Huawei, as we are committed to supporting teachers in the process of digital transformation in education. Through this collaboration, we honor a wide spectrum of exceptional teachers who have mastered the integration of technology into their teaching, as we firmly believe in the critical importance of their role as the main pillars for advancing education and reaching its desired objectives.”
Furthermore, Mr. Ma Ben, Head of Government Relations and Strategic Communications Sector at Huawei Egypt, said “We are delighted to continue our successful partnership with UNESCO, through which we strive to improve the quality of education, support the educational process, and empower talented teachers who inspire the next generation of innovators. This is achieved by integrating digital learning platforms, content, and competencies with the aim of building a new infrastructure for education systems.”
He also added, “Huawei’s investment in developing the skills of Egyptian teachers is an investment in the future of Egypt, and the participation of more than 600 Egyptian teachers in the competition is a clear indication of their passion for change and their desire to use technology to create innovative educational experiences.”
It is worth noting that UNESCO and Huawei had previously launched the “Technology-enabled Open School Systems for All” project, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education in Egypt, to ensure access to all communities and achieve maximum benefit from the educational system, the program has achieved remarkable achievements in the education sector in Egypt through the launch of the “National Distance Learning Center” which contributed to building the capabilities of teachers by preparing enrichment training courses for them and providing various digital platforms.
