Leaders, innovators and experts at World Government Summit
Sessions in Dubai to be streamed live for the first time
DUBAI // Innovation, climate change, happiness and education are some of the topics to be discussed at the three-day World Government Summit ( WGS) starting tomorrow at Madinat Jumeirah. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid will lead a question- and- answer session on the revival of development in the Arab World. The Vice Pres- ident and Ruler of Dubai, who will take questions through social media, will share his leadership experience and present his views on the Arab region, its present state, future and potential for development.
Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, and Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, are also scheduled to speak. Shawn Achor of GoodThink Inc will address happiness and the need for governments to engage with citizens on social media to promote personal and social well-being. Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and World Government Summit chairman, said the UAE believed that the tools to build the future were within reach. Making the best use of these tools would create a future suitable for the UAE and other countries.
“The path is clear for a better, more stable and prosperous future. The greatest doorway to this path is cooperation between governments of the world and their organisations and entities, based on knowledge, innovation and science, which will lead to developing solutions for imminent challenges, such as environmental sustainability, food security, social development and developing countries.”
According to Mr Achor, an expert on the connection between happiness and success with 12 years of research experience at Harvard University, a growing trend towards automation and expanding social media interaction may not always result in social improvement, especially as personal interaction wanes.
Dr Scott Barry Kaufman, scientific director of the Philadelphia-based Imagination Institute, will argue that the global education system needs urgent and major reform.
In his talk tomorrow, Can Our Education Destroy Talent?, he will say that the prevailing education system uses outdated methods of testing and grading intelligence and aptitude. Meanwhile, Parag Khanna, managing partner at Hybrid Reality and a senior fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, will address the topic of liquid borders. He will also address the importance of governments in developing policies that maintain economic growth and protect individual sovereignty.
The summit will be streamed live on the internet, a first for an event of this size in the UAE.
More than 4,000 personalities from 139 countries will take part with 150 featured speakers across 114 sessions.
“Given the importance of the topics that the summit’s sessions will discuss, the management deemed it necessary to engage wider social segments in the global dialogue seeking solutions to pressing humanitarian issues,” said Omar Sultan Al Ulama, WGS organisation director. “The decision to live stream WGS events aligns with the summit’s drive towards satisfying the immense global interest in following big events online in real time.”
Under the theme Shaping Future Governments, the summit will look at global challenges and ways of dealing with them. Participants include decision-makers from government, the private and public sectors, entrepreneurs, academics, university students, scientists and innovators. For live updates, follow the WGS social media platforms and website. Hashtag: #WorldGovSummit | Twitter: @ WorldGovSummit | Instagram: @ WorldGovSummit | Facebook: World Government Summit | YouTube: World Government Summit | worldgovernmentsummit.org.