Wrapping up my conference season for the year, this week has been the 10th QS Reimagine Education Awards and Conference, held at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi. The winter here has offered delegates a chilly 33C and warm hospitality from the hosts at Khalifa University.
10 years ago, QS Quacquarelli Symonds, in collaboration with The Wharton School, started to celebrate the most innovative pedagogical approaches to enhance learning outcomes and employability and has run this conference ever since.
This year’s global competition attracted over 1200 submissions, of which 800 were longlisted and underwent two rounds of independent evaluation, performed by an international panel of 800 distinguished judges, who determined the bronze, silver and gold winners for each of the 17 award categories. The awards category winners have now been announced.
A Grand Jury consisting of 50 global experts, have been tasked with evaluating the top-scored entries and name the winner of the Global Education Award, which will receive US$25,000, kindly sponsored by the American University of the Middle East, and the winner of the Global EdTech Award, which will receive cloud credits worth US$ 25,000, proudly offered by Google Cloud. The list of winners can be found below.
As for the Conference the themes of the Future of Learning, the Future of Universities, have been explored along with the Future of Work, Sustainability and Values.
The three-day interactive hybrid conference included:
- Innovators showcase: Speed-pitches (5 min each) of this year’s shortlisted projects
- #PeerLearning sessions, with four different topics to choose: teaching & learning 3.0, mastering talent development, creating impactful and marketable digital learning solutions, and implementing sustainability
- Interactive workshops on experiential and immersive learning, on how to raise funding for edtech startups, on how to become a future-ready university, and on how to unlock students’ entrepreneurial potential.
- AI-focused debates, keynotes, and panels with influential experts, movers, and shakers
- Masterclass on the Entrepreneurial University
- Thought-provoking discussions on emerging skills, rethinking business education, innovative learning models for the digital generation, economic and social trends shaping the future of education, and much more.
- A wrap up session to crystallise the takeaways and learnings
- Networking breakfasts and lunches
- Awards Gala Dinner
The speakers’ line up include university presidents, business school deans, chief learning officers, instructional designers, employers, policymakers, edtech leaders and pioneers, investors, global education analysts and sustainability experts and advocates.
Many of the panel sessions and keynotes naturally lent themselves to conversations around the skills gap, employability, sustainability and the continued role of AI in the delivery of higher education.
Well done to QS for keeping the audience engaged, both at the conference and online throughout the week. As we jet back home, my key takeaway is that many, many people in our sector around the world are struggling with the same key challenges at the institutional level. Events like this help academics, administrators and higher education leaders alike to align their thoughts, and realise that they are not facing the industry’s challenges alone.
Congratulations to all the winners below. It has been a pleasure being part of this impressive event.
Education Winner
Purpose Learning with IMPACT Labs | Taylor’s University, Malaysia
Establishing 13 IMPACT Labs aligned to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals to accelerate sustainability education.
Taylor’s University will receive a USD$25,000 cash prize.
Edtech Winner
LabXchange, United States of America
Launched in 2020 at Harvard University, the collaborative digital platform aims to give everyone the opportunity to chart a path in science, for free.
LabXchange will receive Google Cloud credits worth USD$25,000, sponsored by Google Cloud.
Access, Diversity, & Inclusion Award
| Award level | Organisation | Project name |
| Gold | Curtin University | Empowering Neurodiverse Adolescents |
| Silver | Special Olympics Global Center for Inclusion in Education | Framework for an Inclusive Society |
| Bronze | Know One Teach One | KOTO’s Holistic Hospitality Vocational Training Program |
AI in Education Award
| Award level | Organisation | Project name |
| Gold | Duolingo | The Duolingo English Test |
| Silver | Cathoven | Cathoven Language Hub |
| Bronze | STEMpedia (Agilo Research Private Ltd) | STEMpedia, Catering AI Education for 21st-Century Skills |
Best use of Generative AI
| Award level | Organisation | Project name |
| Gold | Cartedo | TedoSim – AI powered Simulation-based learning platform for career readiness |
| Gold | Audemic | Gen AI Driven Access to Research for Mainstream Learners |
| Silver | University of Waterloo WatSPEED | Simulated experiential clinical training |
| Bronze | International Institute for Management Development | OWP+GPT : AI-powered executive development |
Blended and Presence Learning Award
| Award level | Organisation | Project name |
| Gold | Singapore Management University | Statistics For Social Impact |
| Silver | The Chinese University of Hong Kong | Empowering Hong Kong’s Educators |
| Bronze | Australian Catholic University | ACU Thrive – First-year success learning model |
Breakthrough Technology Innovation in Education Award
| Award level | Organisation | Project name |
| Gold | SOQQLE HONG KONG LIMITED | Bridging Virtuality and Reality for Immersive Learning |
| Silver | Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) | DON ::: the vest and ASSIMILATE EXCELLENCE |
| Bronze | Stackle | Stackle – Active Learning Platform, Stackle |
Developing Emerging Skills and Competencies Award
| Award level | Organisation | Project name |
| Gold | STEM Punks | Innovation Sports, STEM Punks |
| Silver | The University of Hong Kong | Transdisciplinarity for Future Readiness |
| Bronze | The Australian National University | Cybernetics for Societal Transformations |
| Bronze | Nirmal Hriday Education Society | Democratize AI in Education in India |
E-Learning Award
| Award level | Organisation | Project name |
| Gold | LabXchange | LabXchange |
| Silver | GoSkills | GoSkills LMS: The All-In-One E-Learning Solution |
| Bronze | Educational Initiatives | Ei Mindspark, Educational Initiatives |
| Bronze | ABA English | A New Approach to English Blended Learning |
Immersive Experiential Learning Award
| Award level | Organisation | Project name |
| Gold | RMIT University | VR roleplay to foster interpersonal skills |
| Silver | Startup Wars, Inc. | The Entrepreneurship Simulation Platform, |
| Bronze | National University of Singapore | Exploring the World Beyond with 360imx VR Field Trips |
| Bronze | VinUniversity | VinHeritage Metaverse |
Innovation in Business Education Award
| Award level | Organisation | Project name |
| Gold | Tecnológico de Monterrey | Tech-Driven Entrepreneurship |
| Silver | Griffith University | The art of values-centred education |
| Bronze | IMD | IMD SPRINT for Business Mastery and Transformation |
Learning Assessment Award
| Award level | Organisation | Project name |
| Gold | SMARTAIL PVT LTD | AI Grading of Assessments |
| Silver | Educational Initiatives | Ei ASSET, Educational Initiatives |
| Bronze | MaivenPoint, an AvePoint Company | Examena |
Lifelong Learning Award
| Award level | Organisation | Project name |
| Gold | Dreami | Scalable Mentorship |
| Silver | Delft University of Technology | Medical Technology portfolio |
| Bronze | Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani | BITS Pilan Work Integrated Learning Programmes |
Nurturing Employability Award
| Award level | Organisation | Project name |
| Gold | InStride | InSkillingTM by InStride |
| Silver | Riipen | Level UP, Riipen |
| Bronze | Zayed University | Active Learning @ College of Interdisciplinary Studies |
Nurturing Values and Ethics Award
| Award level | Organisation | Project name |
| Gold | Australian National University | Rights, Relationships and Respect |
| Silver | Education for Sharing (E4S) | Global Citizenship |
| Bronze | Pro-Educa Sinaloa IAP | Guidance for kids affected by organized crime |
Nurturing Wellbeing and Purpose Award
| Award level | Organisation | Project name |
| Gold | Nanyang Technological University | Wellbeing Community of Practice (CoP) |
| Silver | Curtin University | Online mental health programs for students |
| Bronze | Indian Institute of Technology, Madras | Personal & Professional Development – A Curricular Intervention |
Science of Learning Award
| Award level | Organisation | Project name |
| Gold | COGx | Developing Sophisticated Learners, COGx |
| Silver | Deakin University | Address Real-World Business Challenges |
| Bronze | Genius Education Zambia | Genius Education Zambia |
| Bronze | IE University | Refugee Camp Simulation for Crisis Preparedness and Response |
Sustainability Education Award
| Award level | Organisation | Project name |
| Gold | Taylor’s University, Malaysia | Taylor’s Purpose Learning with Impact Labs |
| Silver | The Ocean Race | Generation Ocean |
| Bronze | FACENS University | Smart Forests |
| Bronze | Coventry University | ACES – A Community-Centred Educational Model |
The Power of Partnerships Award
| Award level | Organisation | Project name |
| Gold | University of Waterloo | Partners for Prosperity, University of Waterloo |
| Silver | Singapore Management University | Project-based Experiential Learning (INDEX) |
| Bronze | The University of Hong Kong | Students as Co-Designers –LKS Faculty of Medicine |
