The IAFOR International Conference on Education - Dubai 2017 (IICEDubai2017)

Dear Colleague, The International Academic Forum (IAFOR) invites you to participate in The IAFOR International Conference on Education – Dubai 2017 (IICEDubai2017), held Sunday, February 26 to Tuesday, February 28, 2017, in Dubai, UAE. The abstract submission deadline is fast approaching. Please submit by November 1, 2016 to have your abstract reviewed and join IAFOR and delegates from around the world in the international hub of Dubai. Registration includes admission to The IAFOR International Conference on Language Learning – Dubai 2017 (IICLLDubai2017), The IAFOR International Conference on Social Sciences – Dubai 2017 (IICSSDubai2017), and The IAFOR International Conference on Arts & Humanities – Dubai 2017 (IICAHDubai2017), which are to be held alongside IICEDubai2017 as part of the same event. This gathering of academics at the intersection of nation, culture and discipline promises a unique environment for conversation, information exchange and networking. Join us at IICEDubai2017 for interdisciplinary discussion around the shared conference theme of: "Educating for Change" *Keynote Speakers Professor Donald E. Hall, Lehigh University, USA Dr Melanie Gobert, Abu Dhabi Men's College, UAE Dr Christina Gitsaki, Zayed University, UAE We hope that the broad nature of this theme will encourage the submission of works from a variety of interesting perspectives. IAFOR welcomes submissions to IICEDubai2017 from all over the world. We encourage you to join us in Dubai to share your research and knowledge in an international, intercultural and interdisciplinary setting. To submit an abstract for presentation or to participate as an audience member, please visit the website or contact us for more information. Abstract Submission Deadline: November 1, 2016 Submit your abstract: www.iafor.org/cfp Visit the conference website: www.iicedubai.iafor.org Enquiries: iicedubai@iafor.org In conjunction with our global partners, we look forward to extending you a warm welcome in 2017. ------------- ***Join IAFOR at IICEDubai2017 and: – Deliver your research findings to a global audience – Have your work published in the Conference Proceedings and considered for IAFOR's peer-reviewed, open-access journals – Benefit from IAFOR's interdisciplinary focus by hearing about the latest research in Education, Language Learning, Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities, and more – Participate in a truly international, interdisciplinary and intercultural event – Take part in interactive audience sessions – Network with international colleagues **Register now to take advantage of Early Bird Registration and save over 20%. Early Bird Registration is open until December 1, 2017. Please see the registration page for details: www.iafor.org/iicedubai2017-registration *If you have attended an IAFOR conference within the past year, or belong to an affiliated university or institution, we offer additional discounts in appreciation of your support. Please contact us at iicedubai@iafor.org for details. ------------- ***Conference Theme: "Educating for Change" Why are we in teaching and learning if not to be able to help enrich the lives of our students? Educational institutions at all levels, and of all types, should continue to strive for social change in today's world. Beyond the apparent simplicity of our conference theme, however, there is great scope for wide-ranging responses to the question of just how we go about educating for change, by examining the inherent challenges and responsibilities faced by educators the world over. Education, too frequently, is the victim of politics, and, worse, sometimes ideologies. Politicians and bureaucrats devise and implement policies to effect change that range from curriculum structure and goals to manipulating budgets on behalf of interest groups and their lobbyists. Questions relating to accountability, transparent governance and community relations are too frequently avoided. Within the classroom itself, bridging the gap between policy, theory and practice, whether traditional or virtual, teachers and professors de facto become, at varying levels, agents for change. Beyond providing students with resources for study in given fields, they also support them by often being seen as acting not merely as mentors, but also as role models. These issues are part of the global transformation affecting all human civilisation. How can we as teachers function effectively in a very uncertain environment? How do we help to equip our students with the intellectual and existential tools they require? How do we narrow the gap between theory and practice? How do we make decisions about curriculum and course context in the face of political pressure and social norms? What is the role of interdisciplinary studies in educating for change? And, at the macro level, how can we stimulate awareness of issues such as education assisting the promotion of social justice? This conference, part of IAFOR's global conference series on education, in its broadest sense brings together teachers, researchers and distinguished professors from around the world to share their insights. The goal is to broaden awareness of different contexts in the pursuit of synergies and solutions. We look forward to your active participation in this vital field of future-oriented academic activity of The International Academic Forum. In conjunction with our global partners, we look forward to extending you a warm welcome in 2017. ***Conference Programme As well as being a great opportunity for meeting and interacting with some of the biggest names in the fields of Education, Language Learning, Social Sciences, and Arts & Humanities, our conferences create an intellectually challenging but friendly environment for the presentation and nurturing of new ideas, encouraging the research synergies that drive new developments and create new knowledge. Speakers at The IAFOR International Conference on Education – Dubai 2017 (IICEDubai2017) include: **Keynote Speakers *Professor Donald E. Hall, Lehigh University, USA Interdisciplinary Education for Innovation and Change Abstract: Whatever we may isolate as the chief global threats that we face in the twenty-first century, we have little hope of effectively responding to them without finding common ground across nations, cultures, languages, and belief systems. We cannot address global warming, HIV/AIDS, the threat of terrorism, nuclear proliferation, religious intolerance, famine, poverty, or any other social ill by our own lonely and isolated selves—either as individuals or individual nations. States often, understandably, act out of national self-interest, but none of the major challenges we face today are solvable by individual nations acting solely on that basis of self-interest, except to the extent that it is in the interest of individual nations to work together collaboratively and energetically. How then do we begin to solve our biggest and most fundamental problem of them all: the challenge of living in peace, good will, and with a sense of shared interests with our fellow inhabitants of the planet? By the end of this talk I will return repeatedly to that question because I do not think that science, technology, engineering, or business alone helps us achieve that foundational goal of living in peace, goodwill, and with a sense of shared interests with our fellow inhabitants of the planet. Science will help us cure disease. Technology will allow us to communicate and travel faster. Engineering may assist us in generating new forms of energy and protecting against eroding agricultural lands and coastal areas. Business provides incentives to develop new media, new pharmaceuticals, and new ways of feeding our hungry populations. However, none of them displaces or challenges self-interest, national or personal. None of them provides the tools alone to achieve our goal of living in peace, good will, and with a sense of shared interest with our fellow inhabitants of the planet. For that, we need interdisciplinary training in the liberal arts and sciences – especially as informed by the humanities, the social sciences, and the visual and performing arts. Only interdisciplinarity can teach us how to cross boundaries comfortably, even enthusiastically. Interdisciplinary perspectives can save us from ourselves and the threats that are produced by a narrow reliance on science, technology, and business. *Dr Melanie Gobert, Abu Dhabi Men's College, UAE Reading: A 21st Century Skill in Higher Education Abstract: It is assumed that reading is a basic, core skill in the range of skills needed to be a 21st century thinker and that all students have acquired this skill before embarking on higher education (Kivunja, 2014), yet research in the United Arab Emirates shows that the average Emirati student has read only 4 books a year compared to her/his Korean peers (40 books), and the average Emirati family only has 20 books in the home compared to the average British home which has 203 books. In fact, research in the USA from the ACT college placement tests shows that about 50% of high school graduates lack the necessary reading skills to adequately commence college. In the USA and Europe, many of these students are language minority students. In addition, more and more English-medium colleges and branches of English higher education institutions are opening abroad in non-English speaking countries. English proficiency has also become a graduation program requirement in more and more foreign universities due to the impact of globalization. Add to that, the impact of electronic media on education and the impact of the retrieval of information from the Internet on the human brain, higher educational institutions are often left with a deficit in the college-preparedness of incoming students. A result of this, particularly for many English-medium overseas colleges and universities, is that the teacher is paid to read and summarize the content for underprepared students, thus impacting the standard of the graduates of the university and the university's reputation. This talk will look at some of the causes and effects of this phenomenon and discuss some research-based solutions. *Dr Christina Gitsaki, Zayed University, UAE A Supertanker in an Ocean of Change and Innovation Abstract: The field of Education has long been criticized for being too slow in adopting much needed changes commensurate with the sweeping social changes brought on by globalization in the information age. This session will first discuss change in Education from a number of different perspectives highlighting factors that in the past have inhibited long and short-term change in the field. Following that, the session will address key points relevant to Education in the Gulf, will explore the role of research and technology in improving human learning potential, and provide a set of concrete recommendations and guidelines for major stakeholders, such as educators, educational leaders and policy makers, in an effort to successfully plan and implement small and large-scale projects that can bring about change in the field. ------------- ***About IAFOR IAFOR welcomes academics from all over the world to our interdisciplinary conferences held in Japan, UK, Spain, USA and the UAE. Our events provide a unique international, intercultural and interdisciplinary environment in which to hear about the latest world-class research and network with leading academics, professionals and practitioners. By facilitating dialogue between the world's academics and thought leaders, IAFOR has become a pioneer in providing the research avenues and visionary development solutions that are necessary in our rapidly emerging globalised world. We welcome you to engage in this expanding global academic community of individuals and network of institutions, and look forward to seeing you at one of our future events. To learn more about IAFOR, please visit our website at www.iafor.org. For enquiries please contact iice@iafor.org.