Abu dhabi: Over 1,000 education leaders, policymakers, innovators, and stakeholders from Ghana and across the globe are expected to gather in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from November 15 to 16, for the World Schools Summit.
According to Ghana News Agency, the summit, hosted by T4 Education, Aldar Education, and the Emirates Foundation, with support from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), aims to address the most pressing challenges facing global education systems. The event is backed by leading global organisations including Microsoft, Google, HP, the International Baccalaureate Organization, Prometric, Edmentum, Inicio Partners, Best School to Work, Carter Fleet, Education Leaders Forum, and Magrudy’s.
The World Schools Summit will bring together top school leaders, government officials, non-governmental organisations, and technology companies to explore how education can be harnessed to build leadership for a better world. Discussions will focus on critical issues such as climate chang
e, artificial intelligence, peacebuilding, and inequality.
Prominent speakers scheduled to address the summit include Mr Ben Gomes, Chief Technologist for Learning and Sustainability at Google; Ms Angeline Murimirwa, Chief Executive Officer of CAMFED and one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025; Mr Theron Feemster, Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer; Ms Angela Meikle, Global Head of IB World Schools; and Mr Amit Patel, Managing Director of Owl Ventures. Others are Ms Rebecca Winthrop, Director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution; Mr Rod Smith, Group Managing Director of International Education at Cambridge University Press and Assessment; His Excellency Ahmed Taleb Al Shamsi, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Foundation; Ms Sahar Cooper, Chief Executive Officer of Aldar Education; and Ms Andria Zafirakou MBE, Global Teacher Prize Winner.
Also expected are Mr Mayank Dhingra, Director and Global Head of Education Strategy at HP; Mr Patrick O’Steen,
Director of K12 Partnerships at Microsoft Elevate; and education ministers from various countries. A key highlight of the summit will be the announcement of the winners of the Global EdTech Prize, an initiative launched in partnership with Owl Ventures and Digital Promise. The prize seeks to recognise innovative technology solutions that are transforming education. Finalists will present their ideas in a live pitch session, with winners selected by educators through a voting process.
Speaking ahead of the summit, Ms Eunice Ogolo, Director of Girl Capital – Africa at CIFF, said the event would provide a platform for bold ideas to improve the lives of children and adolescents in Ghana and across Africa. ‘To transform the lives of children and adolescents in Ghana and across Africa, we need bold ideas that enable them not just to survive, but to thrive in a rapidly changing world,’ she said.
Mr Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and the World Schools Summit, said education must be at the centre of global effo
rts to address climate change, technological disruption, conflict, and inequality. ‘A better world is possible, but only if leaders from governments, businesses, NGOs, academia, and technology recognise that education lies at the heart of all these crucial questions,’ he stated. Ms Caroline Mutepfa, Director of Microsoft Elevate, said Microsoft would share its vision for empowering educators and students through AI-driven tools and personalised learning pathways.
The summit is expected to foster collaboration and innovation among global education stakeholders and contribute to shaping the future of learning worldwide.