The
Opening Ceremony was chaired by Rupert Maclean, QAPCO Professional Chair in Vocational Studies, UNESCO Chair on TVET and Sustainable Development, Coordinator, UNESCO-UNEVOC Centre for Qatar, Office of Applied Research and Innovation. He introduced the purposes of the meeting as (i) analyzing issues related to the transition of TVET from an old productivist paradigm that served the needs of the economy for productivity, efficiency and growth, to a new one oriented towards integrated and balanced sustainable and inclusive development; and (ii) developing a Doha Declaration on Strengthening the Role of Research in TVET for Sustainable and Inclusive Development.
Short welcome speeches were delivered by three educational leaders in Qatar: Dr. Hamda Al-Sulaiti (Secretary General, Qatari National Committee for Education, Culture and Science); Samah Gamar (Vice President, Academic, UDST) and Faryal Khan (Programme Specialist for Education, UNESCO Doha Office). Among the key messages from these speakers were: