The Arab-German Education and Vocational Training Forum opened its doors for the 6th time on 14 and 15 April 2015 in Berlin. As in the previous years, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) assumed patronage of the event.
Some 250 experts gained insights regarding the co-operation opportunities in the field of vocational and advanced training, discussed current trends and intensified their contacts with partners regarding the development and further expansion of projects in the field of education.
6th Arab-German Education and Vocational Training Forum
Stepping stone to markets in the MENA region
The Arab guests hailed from 17 different countries, with the largest numbers travelling to Germany from Iraq, followed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
This year's key topics included approaches to dual academic degree courses, human resource management for educational concepts and e-learning. As usual, the event concluded with the planning and implementation of current projects.
This year's key topics included approaches to dual academic degree courses, human resource management for educational concepts and e-learning. As usual, the event concluded with the planning and implementation of current projects.
The experts attending the 6th Arab-German Education and Vocational Training Forum agreed that the export opportunities for German providers of vocational and advanced training are better than ever before. Germany as a partner is held in great esteem in the attractive markets of the MENA region (Middle East & North Africa).
The forum attendants moreover argued the case for the establishment of a modern culture of learning in businesses. In future, innovative educational concepts should sustainably complement the existing education systems. E-learning is being perceived as a new opportunity for supporting learning performance in a targeted manner. The options provided by the flexible and individual concept of mobile learning in particular generate great enthusiasm amongst the education experts.
At the end of the forum, Ulrich Meinecke announced that iMOVE will organise an information event on 12 June 2015 in Germany for the "Colleges of Excellence" invitation to tender.
The forum attendants moreover argued the case for the establishment of a modern culture of learning in businesses. In future, innovative educational concepts should sustainably complement the existing education systems. E-learning is being perceived as a new opportunity for supporting learning performance in a targeted manner. The options provided by the flexible and individual concept of mobile learning in particular generate great enthusiasm amongst the education experts.
At the end of the forum, Ulrich Meinecke announced that iMOVE will organise an information event on 12 June 2015 in Germany for the "Colleges of Excellence" invitation to tender.
Opening
Invitation for knowledge transfer
Ulrich Meinecke, Head of Division of iMOVE, invited the forum attendants in his welcome address to use iMOVE as a gateway to the German education industry. He pointed out that the BMBF places great importance on the co-operation with the Arab countries and that co-operation with iMOVE can greatly contribute to the reform and further development of vocational education and training systems.
Abdulaziz Al-Mikhlafi, Secretary General of the Ghorfa Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, thanked the many active supporters of the forum as well as the forum participants for their recognition of the organisers' work as expressed by their attendance. He emphasised the importance of education for sustainable relationships and expressed his hope that the forum will generate prospects of new partnerships.
Dr Peter Ramsauer, President of the Ghorfa, praised the good economic relations between Germany and the Arab countries and invited the attendants to jointly fully exploit the co-operation potential in the field of education. He also highlighted the education offensive by which the Arab economies seek to strengthen their competitive capability and the opportunities this creates for German providers of education.
The Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Education and Research, Thomas Rachel, conveyed his minister's greetings and reported on the instruments and investments used in the effort to appropriately qualify young people in Germany. He pointed out that many German education providers generate up to a quarter of their revenue through co-operation with Arab countries. He moreover emphasised the increasing importance of practical orientation, also in the field of academic education.
Professor Ossama bin Abdul Majed Shobokshi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, emphasised the importance of vocational education and training in the face of current political change. He presented the framework conditions of the education market in Saudi Arabia with its 7.9 million young people needing vocational training. He expressed his view that the German model of combining theory and practice is particularly well-suited to demand and fit for implementation in a wide range of projects in his home country.
Dr Bader Hamad Al-Essa, Minister of Education and Higher Education of the State of Kuwait, described the efforts of his country to establish a future-oriented education system and to diversify education. He identified excellent university education, sustainability in the innovation process and qualification programmes for people with disabilities as key tasks.
The founder and Chairman of the German University in Cairo (GUC), Professor Ashraf Mansour, labelled himself as a product and producer of Egyptian-German education co-operation. He underscored that the Education Forum can make an important contribution to the social stability in many regions and to peace by supporting the cause for enabling people to earn an income and thus lead a dignified life.
Session 1: Professional training combined with higher education: Strategic approaches for Arab-German co-operation
Best prospects for education providers in the Gulf States
Dr Tobias Effey, Head of Department Training and Smart Solutions Centre (TSSC) at the German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech), introduced the first session by presenting various programmes of his university, which is currently attended by 1,300 students, of which three quarters are female. He emphasised the excellent prospects awaiting German providers of education in the Gulf States.
Dr Mona Bint Salim Al-Jardania, Undersecretary for Technological Education and Vocational Training at the Ministry of Manpower in Oman, conveyed an overview of vocational education and training in her country and described practical training elements as important strategic measures that have already been made mandatory in numerous training programmes. She described state-run vocational training centres where companies can obtain training for their new employees and she highlighted the great significance of the currently 376 private institutions for vocational education and training and their knowledge of industry demand.
According to Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the gap between the desire of young people and their parents for an academic degree and the industry demand for capable and motivated employees is continuously widening. He identified the promotion of curiosity, of gathering experience and of personal qualifications as a key social task and said that these factors have to be taken into consideration when choosing a suitable course of education.
Professor Ashraf Mansour espoused education reforms, economic growth, political stability and the creation of jobs in this session. According to him, 178 million people under the age of 25 years in the Arab countries currently are in need of vocational education and training.
Alexander Turnwald of Capacity Building Partnership highlighted in his presentation the concept of dual degree courses and the good prospects for their export into the Arab countries. He particularly emphasised their excellent suitability for the training of public service executives.
Emad AlMoayed, Chairman of the National Institute for Industrial Training (NIIT) in Bahrain, presented his institution, which was established following an initiative by employers. It is the largest institution for vocational education and training in Bahrain and offers dual degree courses for 400 trainees.
During the subsequent discussion, the panellists stressed the fact that private education providers are esteemed partners of government institutions in the MENA region due to their proximity to the market and the industry.
German providers in particular already occupy key positions or will encounter favourable conditions for accessing attractive vocational education and training markets. The experts emphasised that the integration of entrepreneurship in vocational education and training programmes as well as the input from the industry and research will be further promoted.
Session 2: Managing human resources: Win and hold personnel with educational concepts
Embedding a new culture of learning in enterprises
Dr Gabi Kratochwil, Managing Director of Cross Cultures opened the session with a short description of the initial situation in many businesses. It is a strategic necessity for companies to win over and retain good employees. Yet even so, 58 per cent of employees quit their job on their own motivation. Educational concepts can help to enable the professional development of skilled employees also within their organisation.
Dr Nabil Mohamed Amin, First Undersecretary at the Ministry of Manpower and Migration in Egypt, highlighted the importance of employees for productivity in companies. They are more than mere "occupiers of a position" and therefore require a specific form of management. He recommended investments in vocational and advanced training and at the same time emphasised the obligation of governments to provide appropriate framework conditions and certified qualification programmes.
According to Marita Mitschein, Senior Vice President of SAP Middle East & North Africa LLC in the United Arab Emirates, companies today face unprecedented changes. 1.4 billion people communicate in social networks, new business models pop up everywhere and the available knowledge doubles every 18 months. Because a high degree of performance capability and learning are closely connected, she therefore demands of businesses that they enable their employees to learn faster, in a more mobile manner and with all institutions and instruments that are available. Only the extensive embedding of a learning culture within organisations offers a genuine competitive advantage, she said.
Esam Hammad, Manager of Customer Engagement at Tamkeen, a government agency for private industry support in Bahrain, and his colleagues develop strategies for the provision of vocational education and training to and employment of the roughly 500,000 working citizens of Bahrain. Although foreign employees continue to dominate in many industry sectors, qualification and human resource development programmes have already produced good results. Tamkeen provides up to 100 per cent funding for these programmes.
Martin Stöckmann is Head of the Siemens Professional Education Center Berlin and Region North in Germany, the largest of its kind worldwide. Examples of the global commitment of Siemens to qualifying its employees include the dual degree course for Bachelors of Engineering, special measures for the integration of international employees into the Siemens network and partner programmes with 40 schools worldwide for the implementation of elements of the German dual system of vocational education and training in other education systems.
Matthias Kurrle Head of International Office at the State Academy for Training and Staff Development in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, presented three concepts for advanced training for teachers. He made a case for long-term measures on site to ensure the sustainability of educational measures, enabling the teaching staff to acquire new knowledge again and again, with (online) support and on their own initiative.
The subsequent discussion highlighted the significance of cultural differences when it comes to enabling and facilitating learning. It moreover became clear that opportunities for learning must also go hand in hand with fair pay and, for example, the option of taking a sabbatical to give employees the feeling of being appreciated and to retain them in the long term.
Session 3: E-learning: Meeting demands for innovative cross-border projects
Flexibilisation and individualisation of learning
Presenter Nikolas Deskovic of bettermarks introduced the topic of e-learning with two facts: As of 2016, schools in South Korea will no longer convey knowledge by way of school books and so-called massive open online courses (MOOCS) experience a huge boom at US American universities already today. He invited the session participants to explore how businesses can utilise the increasing significance of e-learning in the future.
Dr Reyad El-Khazali, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Khalifa University in the United Arab Emirates, used his presentation to urge the introduction of blended learning models in classrooms and lecture theatres to increase the individual motivation of pupils and students: small learning groups, personalised curricula, guided practical exercises. The expert highlighted the numerous advantages of digital learning content: it conveys competences and practical skills, contributes to the flexible and individual adjustment of the speed of learning, provides options for the fast assessment of learning outcomes and also reduces the operating costs of educational institutions.
Professor Michael Heister, Head of Department at the German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), focused on the influence of digital media on the cross-border qualification of training supervisors. He has observed that digital media help to activate learners, promote exchange and communication, facilitate work-based learning and support the collaborative development of learning content as well as the exchange of experiences. Heister pointed to the BIBB's online community for in-company training supervisors, foraus.de, as an example for IT-based knowledge management in the field of vocational and advanced training.
In addition to espousing e-learning, Dr Uwe Katzky, Managing Director of szenaris GmbH in Germany, advocated the increased use of simulations in education to test the attained skills and knowledge by way of realistic models. The expert explained that the combination of different methods of learning enables each individual student to combine knowledge in the desired and most suitable manner.
Dr-Eng Robert Stein of Stein & Partner Consult informed his audience about e-learning in the water industry as a demand-oriented means of knowledge transfer for engineers to support them in decision-making processes. Important instruments in this field, he said, are online learning platforms and online libraries with plans and documentation regarding water supply and waste water management structures.
The subsequent discussion focused on the in part relatively high costs accruing in the development of digital learning content and simulations, amongst other issues. The attendants moreover discussed the development potential of co-operating with universities and businesses in the Arab countries and options for overcoming resistance amongst training supervisors regarding the acceptance and implementation of new concepts of learning.
Plenary session: Initiatives and projects in the Arab world
New approaches for under-represented vocational education and training in the MENA region
For the concluding plenary session, Ulrich Meinecke, Head of Division iMOVE, welcomed two guests each from Jordan and Saudi Arabia as well as the representative of a German company that maintains a branch office in the United Arab Emirates. Two models of Arab-German education co-operation were presented.
Yahya Saoud and Hani Khleifat of Vocational Training Corporation in Jordan reported about a development co-operation project in their country called TWEED. Yahya Saoud first related the framework conditions: the unemployment rate is about 12 per cent; more than 80 per cent of pupils aspire to go to university, whereas only some three per cent complete an apprenticeship. This vocational education and training provision is frequently not yet sufficiently demand-oriented and provides significant growth potential with regards to involving the private sector.
According to Hani Khleifat, the country moreover suffers from a shortage of raw materials and in particular from a shortage of water. To combat the extensive loss of water especially in buildings, various programmes for the training of male and female plumbers were implemented in the context of TWEED. These include also refugees from Syria, who Jordan has accepted as a result of the on-going war in the neighbouring country.
Dr Saleh Al Amr and Dr Michael Klees jointly presented the "Colleges of Excellence" initiative in Saudi Arabia in their capacity as its CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and Director of Research and Development, respectively. Regarding the framework conditions in Saudi Arabia, Al Amr talked about his country's great commitment to education, with about a quarter of all oil revenue being invested in that sector. Although this places Saudi Arabia at the top of the list regarding the highest expenditure for university funding of all OECD countries (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), it is the country with the lowest rate of expenditure for vocational education and training. By now, the country has more than 30 universities, which have reached the limits of their capacity, and a high rate of unemployment amongst university graduates. In addition to expanding vocational education and training for Saudi Arabian citizens, the country aspires to the increased employment of women and is particularly interested in train-the-trainer programmes.
Klees adds that in order to co-operate with international education providers in the context of public-private partnerships, 37 "Colleges of Excellence" have already been established, however, only few with German involvement. To ensure the long-term commitment of the international partners, Saudi Arabia initially expects investments in the colleges, which usually take a few years to generate profit. Yet according to the expert, this flexible and dynamic system offers a wide range of opportunities especially for German providers of education to implement elements of the dual system in the respective institutions and vocational training programmes. In his view, syndicates in particular are ideal partners for the Saudi government in this field.
Thoralf Krause of SKZ – German Plastics Center presented his organisation's activities in the MENA region. SKZ has been offering advanced training courses for qualified professionals in Dubai for ten years.
The plenary session concluded with a lively debate about different Arab-German models of co-operation and options for the translation and transfer of dual system elements and their implementation in international vocational education and training systems. At the end of the forum, Ulrich Meinecke announced that iMOVE will organise an information event on 12 June 2015 in Germany for the "Colleges of Excellence" invitation to tender.
The 6th Arab-German Education and Vocational Training Forum once again offered the attendants a wide range of opportunities for networking and discussion of potential co-operation projects. Their feedback was unanimously positive. They praised not only the speakers' presentations, but also and in particular the open and friendly atmosphere of the forum.
This content is available in English only.
Opening
Ulrich Meinecke
Head of Division, iMOVE: Training – Made in Germany at the Federal Institute for Vocational
Education and Training (BIBB), Germany
Abdulaziz Al-Mikhlafi
Secretary General, Ghorfa Arab-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Germany
Thomas Rachel
Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Education and Research, Germany
Dr Peter Ramsauer
President, Ghorfa Arab-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry Federal Minister retired, Germany
His Excellency Professor Dr Ossama bin Abdul Majed Shobokshi
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Doyen of the Arab Diplomatic Corps, Saudi Arabia
His Excellency Bader Hamad Al-Essa
Minister of Education and Higher Education of the State of Kuwait
Professor Dr Ashraf Mansour
Prime Founder and Chairman, Board of Trustees, German University in Cairo (GUC), Egypt
Session 1: Professional training combined with higher education: Strategic approaches for Arab-German co-operation
Dr Tobias Effey
Head of Department Training and Smart Solutions Centre (TSSC), German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech), Oman
- Moderation
Her Excellency Dr Muna Bint Salim Al-Jardania
Undersecretary for Technological Education & Vocational Training Ministry of Manpower, Oman
Dr Abdulla Al Karam
Director General, Knowledge and Human Development Authority, United Arab Emirates
Professor Dr Ashraf Mansour
Prime Founder and Chairman, Board of Trustees, German University in Cairo (GUC), Egypt
Alexander Turnwald
Capacity Building Partnership (CBP), Germany
Emad AlMoayed
Chairman, National Institute for Industrial Training (NIIT), Bahrain
Session 2: Managing human resources: Win and hold personnel with educational concepts
Dr Gabi Kratochwil
Managing Director, Cross Cultures, Germany
- Moderation
His Excellency Dr Nabil Mohamed Amin
First Undersecretary, Ministry of Manpower and Migration, Egypt
Marita Mitschein
Senior Vice President, SAP Middle East & North Africa LLC, United Arab Emirates
Esam Hammad
Manager of Customer Engagement, Tamkeen, Bahrain
Martin Stöckmann
Head Siemens Professional Education Center Berlin and Region North, Siemens AG, Germany
Matthias Kurrle
Head of International Department, State Academy for Training and Staff Development, Baden Wuerttemberg, Germany
Session 3: E-learning: Meeting demands for innovative cross-border projects
Nikolas Deskovic
CEO, bettermarks GmbH, Germany
- Moderation
Dr Reyad El-Khazali
Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Khalifa University, Unites Arab Emirates
Professor Dr Michael Heister
Head of Department, Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), Germany
Dr Uwe Katzky
Managing Director, szenaris GmbH, Germany
Dr Robert Stein
CEO, S & P Consult GmbH, Germany
Plenary session: Initiatives and projects in the Arab world
Ulrich Meinecke
Head of Division iMOVE: Training - Made in Germany at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), Germany
- Moderation
Dr Saleh Al-Amr
CEO, Colleges of Excellence, Saudi Arabia
Dr Michael Klees
Director Research and Development, Colleges of Excellence, Saudi Arabia
Eng Yahya Saoud
General Director Assistant for Training Affairs, Vocational Training Corporation, Jordan
Hani Khleifat
Deputy Director for Model Skills Center of Excellence, Vocational Training Corporation (VTC), Jordan
Thoralf Krause
Head of Business Unit, Middle East, SKZ - Das Kunststoff-Zentrum (The Plastic Center), Germany
This content is available in English only.
Site Visit for Arab guests
Guests from Arab countries visitet the Siemens Professional Education Center in Berlin.
Opening and Session 1
In the opening and the first session of the 6th Arab-German Education and Vocational Training Forum
Opening of the 6th Arab-German Education and Vocational Training Forum
Session 1:
Professional training combined with higher education: Strategic approaches for Arab-German co-operation
Professional training combined with higher education: Strategic approaches for Arab-German co-operation
Moderator and speakers of the first session
Sessions 2 and 3, Plenary Session
In the sessions of the second day of the 6th Arab-German Education and Vocational Training Forum
Session 2:
Managing human resources: Win and hold personnel with educational concepts
Managing human resources: Win and hold personnel with educational concepts
Moderator and speakers of the second session
Session 3:
E-learning: Meeting demands for innovative cross-border projects
E-learning: Meeting demands for innovative cross-border projects
Moderator and speakers of the third session
Plenary session:
Initiatives and projects in the Arab world
Initiatives and projects in the Arab world
Moderator and speakers of the plenary session
Guests of the 6th Arab-German Education Forum
