By Miyoko Ishigami
KYOTO, Japan, Oct 5 (KUNA) -- The visiting Kuwait's Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr. Bader Al-Essa on Monday underscored the importance of education system to enhance social innovation and sustainability in Kuwait.
In a speech at the session titled "Social Innovation for Sustainability" in the Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum, being held in the western Japanese city of Kyoto, Dr. Al-Essa said highly educated Kuwaitis, institutions, universities and research centers spanning in different aspects of science and technology always believe that the education system is a main factor that increases social innovation and sustainability.
"Kuwait has shown consistently its commitment to the social innovation and sustainability, and we will continue to give to the environment through science and technology," he stressed. Dr. Al-Essa highlighted an integrated modernization program, jointly launched by the Ministry of Education and the World Bank earlier this year, that is designed to develop the nation's education system, especially science and technology. "The program, which will take about five years to complete changing all the education system in Kuwait, will be effective to our social development and help our society move forward with social innovation and sustainability," he said.
Meanwhile, the minister listed four factors in political, economic, cultural and ecological aspects of social innovation that empowers people and changes societies for the better, such as enacting laws and funding innovative ideas. "It is our belief that education and training are mutually exclusive tools for in innovation. Those factors can increase interest in people specifically, and society in general, which in turn develops countries." Social innovation is commonly defined as new strategies and ideas embodied in policies, products and services that meet important social needs at the same time create new social relationships and collaboration. At the session, the participants from various countries, including Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, the US, Britain and Poland exchanged their views and experience of social innovative activities in their countries and networks.
The three-day annual meeting, which kicked off Sunday, gathers about 1,000 outstanding scientists including 10 Nobel prizes, senior officials, business executives and journalists from some 100 countries. In addition to a series of sessions, Dr. Al-Essa also participated in the Science and Technology Ministers' Roundtable Meeting on Sunday, where science and technology leaders from 24 countries agreed on the need to have the concept of inclusive innovation. Dr. Al-Essa, who heads the Kuwaiti delegation, is also attending a series of plenary sessions.
Kuwaiti Ambassador to Japan Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Higher Education Dr. Hamed Al-Azemi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education Dr. Haitham Al-Athari, Secretary General of the Private Universities Council Dr. Habib Abul, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Kuwait University Dr. Firyal Bou-Rabee and Kuwaiti Embassy Third Secretary Yousef Al-Tarkit are also at the forum. The annual meeting is aimed at creating a global human network providing a framework for an open discussion about further progress of science and technology for the benefit of humankind. The STS Forum, inaugurated in 2004, is the largest international conference on science and technology in Japan. (end) mk.rk