During his four-day official visit to the UAE, the Director General of the IB, Mr Olli-Pekka Heinonen, met with government officials, Heads of IB World Schools, school leaders and representatives of education organizations.
In his first official visit to the UAE since taking office in May 2021, Mr Olli-Pekka Heinonen met with the UAE’s Minister of Education, H.E. Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, among other notable government officials such as the Director General of Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Dr Abdulla Al Karam, to strengthen collaboration and to discuss ways to further support IB World Schools in the region.
The Director General also met with the Executive Team of Taaleem, one of the largest education providers in the region, offering IB Programmes and an official IB professional development (PD) provider. The meeting aimed to explore further areas of cooperation and support.
“Taaleem is proud of its long-standing and positive relationship with the International Baccalaureate and of providing an IB education to thousands of students in five schools across the UAE. With a long history of demonstrating quality in the provision of the IB programme and being the sole provider of IB teacher training in the UAE, it is clear how highly we value the IBO and all it stands for. We hope to continue strengthening our IB offerings in the years ahead as we work with the IBO to provide a world-class, international education for our IB students and their families”, said Mr Alan Williamson, Chief Executive Officer of Taaleem.
The IB has been operating in the UAE since 1992, with IB programmes across more than 54 schools. An IB education enables students to direct their own learning pathway and develop the skills and confidence they need to thrive throughout their lives and contribute to making the world a better place. It also empowers teachers as the architects of learning excellence, working alongside engaged colleagues in a rewarding career supported by a robust global network.
During his visit, the Director General of the IB signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the President and Chairperson of the Board of Trustees–Her Excellency Dr Muhadditha Al Hashimi of the Sharjah Education Academy (SEA), an academic institution for higher education, and the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), a local regulatory authority of the Government of Sharjah, UAE.
Photo: (L–R) Dr Hassan AlMuhairi, Haif Bannayan, Dina Khalaf, H.E. Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Dr Rabaa AlSumaiti.
