The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) held a special debate on education and well-being today in partnership with the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha. The event marked the first collaboration between the two global initiatives of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), aiming to ensure impactful outcomes in healthcare innovation and education in Qatar, the region and across the globe.

The joint panel between WISH and WISE was formed as a reflection of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser’s global work, aiming to explore and highlight the unarguable link between healthy children and happy children.

Moderated by Dr Harry Anthony Patrinos, Manager of Educational Global Practice at the World Bank Group, the panel investigated integrated approaches to understanding the relationship between education attainment and well-being, and explored some of the projects and initiatives that are leading the way in this field.

The panellists included Dr Mandana Arabi, Executive Director of the Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science at the New York Academy of Sciences; Professor Sir Harry Burns, Professor of Global Public Health at Strathclyde University; and Professor Marwan Awartani, President of Palestine Technical University and Secretary General of the Universal Education Foundation: Learning for Well Being.

WISH has also established the Mental Health and Well-being in Children and Young People Forum, chaired by Professor the Lord Richard Layard, Wellbeing Program Director at the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics (LSE). The Forum will further explore the role of education in well-being as part of its remit to produce evidence-based reports and provide recommendations for policymakers at the second WISH Summit taking place in February 2015 in Qatar.

Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, Executive Chair of WISH, said: “WISH and WISE share a passionately held belief that emerging global challenges can only be overcome with innovation and increased collaboration. The link between education and wellness is increasingly well documented, and I am confident that our experts can identify the best way forward. Together, we are working for a healthier, better-educated world for all.”

His Excellency Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, Chairman of WISE, said: “The Education and Well-Being panel is an important contribution to the emerging consensus on the need for a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to the great challenges of our global age. Combining the expertise of WISH with the reach and experience of WISE provides an unrivaled platform from which to tackle this issue."

WISH and WISE were both established under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, in 2013 and 2009 respectively. They are global communities of leading innovators who collaborate to address urgent challenges in health and education, with evidence-based solutions that benefit Qatar and the wider world.

For more information about WISH and the 2015 Summit, please visit wish.org.qa. For more information about WISE, visit wise-qatar.org.

Follow us on our social media channels: @ILQlive @ILQlive @ILoveQtr ILoveQatar

QNE

Start a discussion