Collaborative e-learning strategies for Gulf, university conference
United Arab Emirates, Education, 5/6/2002

The College of Information Technology (CIT) at the United Arab Emirates University announced yesterday that it is organizing the two-day International E-Learning Symposium.

The symposium will be conducted under the patronage of Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, from May 12-13, 2002 at Al Bustan Rotana Hotel Dubai. The announcement was made at a press conference held in coordination with Dubai e-Government, one of the main sponsors for the symposium.

The symposium will provide a forum for international scholars and practitioners in the field of e-learning to meet and exchange ideas and formulate a cohesive and comprehensive strategy for e-learning in the GCC countries. The conference will host professional speakers from Australia, Norway, Malaysia, India, Edinburgh and Spain in addition to a vast number of professors from the regional universities in Jordan, Algeria, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Prof. Owen Gaede of the College of Education, Florida State University will be the keynote speaker at the symposium. Professor Gaede was the design team leader for electronic systems on the Florida School year 2000 initiative, a major school reform initiatives of the 1990s in the US.

ÒWith tremendous advances being made in information technology, e-learning has become of utmost significance, as it cuts across barriers of age, culture and nationality to offer people from all walks of life access to extensive information and knowledge.Ó said Prof. Khaled A. Kamel, Dean CIT at UAE University, and the University. symposium's Chair. ÒIt is imperative at this juncture to organise a forum that will facilitate the exchange of ideas, so that the fledgling concept of e-Learning can be developed in a structured and organised manner while providing customised solutions to meet the demands of the current situation in the region.Ó

ÒOne of the stated objectives of Dubai e-Government is to promote and propagate the use of the Internet and its various utility roles so that we can facilitate the establishment of an e-literate community capable of conducting financial, business and personal transactions over the web,Ó said Salem Al Shair, Director e-Services, Dubai e-Government. ÒThis Symposium is an excellent opportunity to emphasise the significance of e-learning and its growing importance in the world. The fact that this symposium will have learned speakers from around the world will also facilitate the free exchange of ideas and information and will give us a chance to benefit from the experience of other nations.Ó

Organized in four parallel tracks, the scope of the symposium includes E-learning in the GCC, E-learning management, Tactics and technologies in e-Learning and delivering meaningful content for e-learning. ÒThe two-day event is expected to have over 30 research presentations and five workshops in addition to a round table and panel discussion,Ó said Dr. Mohammed Samaka, Director of Computer Science, CIT, and the Chair of the Symposium Steering Committee.

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