Qatar Foundation’s WISE develops research consortium with IIE and global universities to generate new insight into the role of AI in higher education and to support next generation workforce
Doha, Qatar, September 17th, 2024 – WISE – Qatar Foundation’s global initiative for education – has partnered with the Institute of International Education (IIE) and seven universities to explore the role of AI in higher education and skills development for the AI era.
The WISE Global Research Consortium on AI, higher education, and the global workforce is embarking on a series of studies, which will take place across diverse geographical contexts over the next 12 months. These have been designed to provide new insight on the integration of AI into curricula and practice, its role in closing the skills gap, and preparing students for the challenges and opportunities of an AI-driven world of work.
Research will take place in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America. Consortium members taking part include Ashesi University (Ghana), Universidad Camilo Jose Cela (Spain), University of Pennsylvania (USA), The Birla Institute of Technology & Science (India), Nazarbayev University (Kazakhstan), Universidad de los Andes (Colombia) and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Qatar). The research will be led by IIE in close collaboration with WISE and the university consortium. WISE’s research unit will also manage the Qatar element of the study in partnership with Hamad Bin Khalifa University.
To launch the new research initiative, the consortium met in New York during the UN General Assembly. Speaking about the development of the consortium, Stavros Yiannouka, CEO of WISE, said: “As the world rapidly transitions into an AI-driven era, the education landscape is shifting with it. This is a fundamental moment for education systems around the globe and higher education has a pivotal part to play. We need to delve deeper into the challenges and opportunities presented by AI and prepare students – and the future workforce – for the agility and resilience needed. As nations navigate the impact and potential of AI, higher education can build the bridge between theoretical knowledge and practical, industry-relevant skills.
“This is the first time we have developed a multi-partner research consortium of this nature – enabling us to explore these topics across different world regions and perspectives, to provide new insight with global relevance. Our aim is to help inform both policy and practice – and ensure this most potent of technologies is harnessed in the service of quality education for all.”
Research areas of focus include the impact of AI on workforce dynamics and how education can respond – considering strategies for collaboration between academia and industry, as well as upskilling and reskilling for academics and higher education leaders.
Allan E. Goodman, CEO, IIE, said: “We are excited to partner with WISE on this important undertaking. In doing so, we will leverage our history of researching the most crucial issues facing higher education, while leveraging deep networks of researchers and universities in all regions. This is an opportune moment to make sense of AI with sound research—and to wield it in service of the future of higher education, work, and the protracted global challenges that face us all. We are grateful to WISE, the Qatar Foundation, and our research partners for entrusting us to usher in a new era of technology-powered education for the greater good, together.”
This first of its kind research project is now underway and the findings will be presented at the next WISE Summit, taking place in Doha next year and attended by peers, experts and innovators from the global education community.
About WISE
Founded in 2009 by Qatar Foundation under the visionary leadership of its Chairperson, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, WISE (World Innovation Summit for Education) has evolved into an international, multi-sectoral platform dedicated to fostering innovation and evidence-based approaches in education. Through its biennial summit, collaborative research, and a number of ongoing programs, WISE has become a global point of reference for new educational paradigms.
WISE 11, the summit’s 11th edition in 2023, marked a significant milestone, emphasizing a new era of global educational transformation. The next WISE Summit will take place in Doha at the end of 2025.
To stay up to date, follow WISE on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Qatar Foundation – Unlocking Human Potential
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) is a non-profit organization that supports Qatar on its journey to becoming a diversified and sustainable economy. QF strives to serve the people of Qatar and beyond by providing specialized programs across its innovation-focused ecosystem of education, research and development, and community development.
QF was founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who shared the vision to provide Qatar with quality education. Today, QF’s world-class education system offers lifelong learning opportunities to community members as young as six months through to doctoral level, enabling graduates to thrive in a global environment and contribute to the nation’s development.
QF is also creating a multidisciplinary innovation hub in Qatar, where homegrown researchers are working to address local and global challenges. By promoting a culture of lifelong learning and fostering social engagement through programs that embody Qatari culture, QF is committed to empowering the local community and contributing to a better world for all.
For a complete list of QF’s initiatives and projects, please visit: www.qf.org.qa
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For any media inquiries, please contact: pressoffice@qf.org.qa
About the Institute of International Education
The Institute of International Education (IIE) is the leader in designing and implementing international education strategies and program services. We work with governments, policymakers, educators, and employers across the globe to prepare students and professionals for the global workforce and equip them to solve the increasingly complex challenges facing our interconnected world. With support from donors, we also create initiatives that assist students, scholars, and artists whose lives and work are threatened; expand teaching and learning across cultures; and provide opportunities to underserved populations. A not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has a network of 16 offices and affiliates worldwide and over 1,600 higher education partners. Visit iie.org.
About the consortium members
Ashesi University: Located in Ghana, this private, non-profit university combines a rigorous multidisciplinary core with degree programs in Computer Science, Business Administration, Management Information Systems, and Engineering. The vision of Ashesi University is a flourishing Africa whose leaders make ethical decisions in the best interests of their communities and an Africa where innovation drives economic, cultural and social growth. Ashesi educates ethical, entrepreneurial leaders who will make this vision a reality, and collaborates with other institutions to multiply this work. Learn more at: ashesi.edu.gh
University of Pennsylvania: The University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin, is a private, Ivy League institution. Penn is consistently included among the top research universities in the world, and also hosts highly regarded undergraduate programs in the liberal arts, business, engineering, and nursing. Penn’s academics are boosted by its inherent culture and ecosystem of innovation. Grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and enriched by the integrated resources of four undergraduate and 12 graduate schools, Penn offers students an unparalleled education informed by inclusivity, intellectual rigour, research, and the impetus to create new knowledge to the benefit of individuals and communities around the world.
Nazarbayev University: Nazarbayev University is a modern, English-speaking research university located in Astana, the Republic of Kazakhstan’s capital and the heart of Eurasia. NU is providing a higher education that prepares graduates for success in an age of globalization and technological disruption.
Graduates receive world-class degrees in earth sciences, digital sciences, public administration, educational leadership, engineering, medicine, and more.
The Birla Institute of Technology & Science: The Birla Institute of Technology & Science, BITS Pilani, is an all-India Institute for higher education. The primary aim of BITS is to “train young men and women able and eager to create and put into action such ideas, methods, techniques, and information”. Over the years, BITS has provided the highest quality technical education to students from all over India admitted on the basis of merit. BITS’ mission is to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century. The Institute is committed to generating, disseminating, and preserving knowledge, and to working with others to bring this knowledge to bear on the world’s great challenges.
Universidad de Los Andes: Universidad de Los Andes (Uniandes) founded in 1948, is “an independent and innovative autonomous institution that fosters pluralism, tolerance, and respect for ideas; seeks academic excellence and provides its students with a critical and ethical education to strengthen in them the awareness of their social and civic responsibilities as well as their commitment to the environment.”1 Uniandes has ten schools (Engineering, SocialSciences, Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Architecture and Design, Medicine, Business, Law, Economics, and Education), 44 undergraduate programs, 26 specializations (graduate certificates), 93 master’s programs, and 18 doctorates. Of its 19,000 students, 14,548 are undergraduate students (53% of them men and 47% women). Faculty includes 726 full-time tenured and tenure-track professors and 1094 adjunct faculty.
Camilo Jose Cela University (UCJC): Camilo José Cela University (Universidad Camilo José Cela – UCJC), located in Madrid (Spain), is one of the youngest and fastest-growing private universities in Spain and Europe. Founded in 2000 as part of SEK Education Group, UCJC embraces a liberal arts and sciences applied approach to HE. UCJC’s learning model rests on three pillars: innovation, internationality and interdisciplinarity and fosters its strategic axes of entrepreneurship, digital transformation and social innovation. The Hive programme is the practical embodiment of this model. This cross-disciplinary course is taken in parallel with undergraduate degrees, and touches upon the fields of health and wellbeing, communications, social commitment, entrepreneurship, digital culture and humanities.
Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU): Hamad Bin Khalifa University isa member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development (QF), was founded in 2010 to continue fulfilling QF’s vision of unlocking human potential. HBKU is a homegrown research and graduate studies University that acts as a catalyst for positive transformation in Qatar and the region while having a global impact.
Detail on these research studies available on request.