Build it and they will come! Or organize a mammoth conference on global education, and higher education that is going global, and they will come to Doha, Qatar; 1,200 participants from 110 countries. Qatar is known for its vast oil and natural gas wealth, its Persian Gulf climate which can reach a balmy 120 degrees in summer (which is why we are here in November) and an impressive commitment to spend a good part of its national treasury on higher education. Education City in Doha is the big idea to attract American universities to set up campuses here. Along with that comes the big conference.

The World Innovation Summit for Education, or WISE, adds a new dimension and role to the Education City project. The Qatar Foundation, which supports Education City and the conference, wants WISE to become the annual global meeting place for educators and others involved in, and committed to, bringing greater innovation to higher education. That is why they have labeled it a “Summit.” If the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland is the meeting place for the global business elite, Doha, Qatar has its sights set on becoming the global meeting place for leaders in education.

Of course, colleges and universities, for all their international programs and commitments, are not transnational enterprises like IBM or GE. No one among the participants, who have been speaking, listening, mingling and networking at the Doha Ritz-Carlton, suggests that they become that. But from the opening session on Monday, there has been a recognition that the oft-cited imperative for innovation applies to higher education as much as to any other sector, and perhaps more so precisely because it is about education.

A major theme at the three day conference, which began Monday, has been the need and potential for universities to be linked even more closely through new technology. Breakout session topics may featured “Preparing Students for a Global Economy,” and “Technology and E-learning”); the innovative dynamics of technology have had pride of place. As any faculty member or parent understands it is the new tools of communicating and connecting in the hands of a younger generation that is forcing a rethinking of pedagogy.
 
At a session on Monday I moderated a discussion that looked at the ability, and readiness of universities to innovate content and pedagogy. Specifically, there was recognition of the need for a closer linking of disciplines within particular programs. Dr. Lawrence Haddad, Director of the Institute for Development Studies at Sussex University in Great Britain, called for students to spend more time outside the classroom and in the field (though still closely linked to their campuses and professors) as part of their graduate degree programs. He also noted that one of his most popular programs is a Masters in Participation, Power and Social Change. That led to a discussion on whether technology enabling innovation could become “disruptive” to established practices. Mike Peters, who has worked for the British government on innovation in education and the Civil Service, recognized that the difference between the two is in the eye of the proverbial beholder. Innovation, he said, is more likely to invite buy-in within an institution, but can be seen as disruptive when it is attempted between institutions; a reality frequently seen in corporate mergers. Peters and Professor Haddad argued that the design, development and delivery of collaborative learning models between and among colleges was desirable, but would probably be more difficult to execute than such initiatives on a single campus.

New technology (of the potentially disruptive kind) was welcomed by practitioners of open universities and distance learning, who feel their time has come. Dr. Gajaraj Dhanarajan, Vice-Chancellor of Wawasan Open University in Malaysia, asserted that new learning technology is creating an era of pedagogical plenty. This, he (and others) argued, will compel universities to reexamine campus based delivery systems and schedules, which will change the learning environment. For good measure he added that even the role of academics could face reexamination.

At today’s final sessions there was a continuing focus on “Future Scenarios” and “Innovation and Pedagogy”. At these and other sessions one has heard talk based on informed insights, analysis and personal experience from academics, administrators, policy makers and think-tank specialists. Speakers at the conference have ranged from the new Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, to Biz Stone, the co-founder of Twitter. Veterans of the long march through similar conferences are familiar with the terrain. Will the WISE conference be able to turn talk into sustainable action?

Sustainability has been one of the core themes of the WISE project. Yes, it has been defined and applied here in the familiar fields ranging from the environment to the economy. But for the organizers of WISE the sustainability of the conference itself is a key goal and challenge. Three years of work have turned an ambitious concept into this week’s gathering in Doha, and a team of 200 support personnel was brought in to the country to support the event. Financial support will not be a limiting issue in keeping the conference going in years to come. (I am only one of the participants who were invited to come to Doha as a speaker all expenses paid.)

The deciding factor for the success of WISE will be follow-up. The Qatar Foundation is aware of this. Originally, they planned to hold the WISE conference every other year. They now plan to hold it annually. That will keep attention on the need for innovation in global higher education. The commitment is there. And so is the money. The only thing that was missing at the conference much of the time was the Ritz Carlton Internet connection. It crashed frequently under the digital Tsunami of the 1200 participants. It was fitting that the subject of the final breakout session was “Smart Infrastructures.”