The United Arab Emirates will host for the first time a major international conference on the future of global knowledge economies, part of the British Council’s prestigious annual Going Global series.

The world’s leaders of education and academics will gather in Dubai with government ministers and business leaders from more than seventy countries to discuss the role of higher education and skills in developing global knowledge economies.

The conference takes place from the March 4 to 6, 2013 at Dubai World Trade Centre.

This year’s theme is Global education: knowledge-based economies for 21st century nations. The programme is built around three strands:

•    Research and innovation - the role of international collaboration;
•    Developing skilled knowledge workers: the role of international collaboration; and
•    Internationalising tertiary education structures and systems.

Highlights of the Going Global 2013 programme include the world’s experts in their field participating in sessions on ‘Soft Power’: higher education and cultural diplomacy; creating globally skilled young entrepreneurs and conditions for jobs and growth in a global economy, among others.

In addition, Going Global will launch five new pieces of major research:

•    An exploration across nine countries of the cultural skills global employers require, from British Council, Booz Allen Hamilton and IPSOS
•    A report on the social and economic impact of transnational education on host countries and index of future transnational opportunities by the British Council
•    A report on how the vision for higher education in the UK will affect future graduate’s employability, by the UK’s University Alliance;
•    A study of student’s perceptions of barriers to their outward mobility in the UK, Australia and USA by the British Council
•    The official launch of the Times Higher Education’s 2013 global university reputation rankings

Martin Davidson CMG, the British Council’s chief executive, said: “We believe international collaboration is vital for the UK’s growth and prosperity and Going Global provides the perfect forum for debate, discussion and networking.

“We have created a diverse programme to respond to some of the current key challenges affecting higher education and skills around the world, and I look forward to the stimulating discourse.”

Richard Cotton, the British Council’s director in UAE said: “We are delighted to be bringing Going Global to Dubai for the first time, and I believe that the rapidly transforming middle east, north African and south Asian regions Dubai is an excellent location for this meeting of global education leaders.” – TradeArabia News Service