The National eLearning Center organizes the International Conference "eLearning for Human Capability Development” under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. Hamad bin Muhammad Al- Alsheikh, the Minister of Education and Chairman of the Board Directors of the National eLearning Center, Monday 24th of January 2022.
The ceremony was opened with a statement from the Director General of the National eLearning Center Dr. Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Walidi. He lauded the considerable support provided by the enlightened leadership for the eLearning and Training, which resulted in national success and wide global recognition. Dr. Alwalidi asserted that the conference commenced under the direction of H.E Dr. Hamad Al- Alsheikh, the Minister of Education and Chairman of the Board Directors to achieve national objectives and build globally competitive citizens.
The Minister of Education emphasized in his speech on the government’s keen concern to empower globally competitive citizens.
He added, “HRH Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has established an aspiring vision for global competition by providing the citizens with the tools and standards for the competition under the considerable support provided for the eLearning and Training sector. Besides the creative human resources in this country, this makes us reconsider current practices, adopt cutting-edge operational tools, practice models, and enablers marked by integration, innovation and flexibility.
During the ceremony, the Minister launched the “Professional Certificates” in eLearning to train practitioners and enhance their competencies with required knowledge and skills, in partnership with the Education & Training Evaluation Commission and several universities and private sector entities.
As a part of human capability development, the Center launched the “Flexible Learning Pathways” to enhance skills related to labor market needs, which is one of the initiatives of the National eLearning Strategy developed by the Center to provide breakthrough solutions according to highly-efficient flexible operational models to accelerate results, motivate innovation, and enhance integration among various related institutions.
Opening Session
The International Conference on “eLearning and Training for Human Capability Development” started the first session “eLearning as an Enabler and Accelerator for Human Capability Development”. The session addressed the role of eLearning as an enabler and accelerator in human capability development and developing the skills that meet the Human Capability Development Program’s goal to enhance citizens' competitiveness locally and globally.
H.E Dr. Hamad Al- Alsheikh, the Minister of Education and Chairman of the Board Directors of the National eLearning Center, H.E Dr. Khalid bin Abdullah Alsabti, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Education and Training Evaluation Commission, H.E Dr. Abdullah bin Nasser Abuthnain, Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, and H.E Dr. Ahmed bin Fahad Alfahaid, Governor of Technical and Vocational Training Corporation participated in the opening session.
During the session, H.E the Minister of Education emphasized that the new economy has brought new jobs. He also added that the governed programs by global platforms enhance the citizens’ abilities to keep abreast of the rapid developments. Moreover, he pointed out that “Flexible Learning Pathways” in eLearning are consistent with future aspirations and today’s demands to the need for flexibility and speed.
H.E Dr. Khalid Alsabti, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Education and Training Evaluation Commission noted that labor requirements and today’s demands have become fast-changing. eLearning is a tool to address these changes. Dr. Alsabti emphasized that there is a great opportunity to achieve global leadership. He also added that the Education and Training Evaluation Commission in collaboration with the National eLearning Center have developed specific standards for accrediting eLearning providers.
H.E Dr. Abdullah bin Nasser Abuthnain, Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Development explained during the opening session that the labor market is going through rapid changes, and that eLearning with high competency has become one of today’s requirements. The statistics proves the importance of eLearning.
H.E Dr. Ahmed bin Fahad Alfahaid, Governor of Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, stressed that the robust infrastructure in the Kingdom contributed to the success of eLearning, especially after the pandemic. Dr. Alfahaid also explained that the methods of learning and acquiring skills and knowledge that develop human capabilities are now available for all.
The International Conference “eLearning for Human Capability Development” will continue until Thursday, 27th of January. The conference includes 6 sessions with the participation of over 20 speakers and several international experts from different countries, accompanied by 7 online workshops held on the side line of the international conference throughout the scheduled days. The conference also highlights innovation in utilizing eLearning for the human capability development, in addition to discussing ways to upskilling, reskilling, and lifelong learning by showcasing the experiences of UNESCO, the International Labor Organization (ILO), the European Union, India, and other countries. It also highlights the most prominent strategies of eLearning platforms and presents the experiences of the edX, Coursera, and FutureLearn platforms in enhancing skills and meeting future requirements. Furthermore, it discusses flexible pathways and micro-credentials and their role in enhancing skills and contributing to the alignment of learning outcomes and labor market requirements, through eLearning, which is considered one of the most important potentials for human capability development to keep pace with the future needs.
