HK wants gateway position in education

The Worlddidac Association, a global trade association for suppliers of educational resources, will launch a three-day exhibition in Hong Kong from March 18.

The Worlddidac Asia 2015 will offer a multifunctional platform for school principals, industry insiders and policymakers to collaborate with each other.

It is the first time the association has chosen Hong Kong to host the exhibition, as it expects the region to become a gateway for Chinese market and the entire region of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

It convenes as Hong Kong government's tries to build a regional education hub.

"The Chinese education market is very dynamic. The impact we want to achieve is to use Worlddidac Asia as platform where the world links with China and China meets with the world," said Preecha Chen, director of Worlddidac Asia 2015.

"Hong Kong is becoming more and more the education gateway to Southeast Asia, with close ties to China and an excellent infrastructure," Chen said.

"The fundamental idea behind Worlddidac Asia is to offer a discussion and market platform for the education industry and education community in Asia," he added.

More than 180 schools from 22 countries have signed up for the event.

The exhibition features 100 companies from 16 countries, among which China, Germany, and South Korea will set up country pavilions. They are all strong suppliers and users of education technologies.

Several hundred educational innovations will be showcased at the exhibition, including educational systems, equipment and models for mathematics and science, e-learning software, data tools for leaders and administrators, educational toys, language laboratory and conference furnishing, printed and published products, and corporate training and consultancy.

These technologies, many of which will make their Asia debut at the event, are to enhance learning and teaching efficiency, course development, and improve educational competitiveness.

"We believe that technology will continue to inspire transformation of education and China will lead the way of how technology could play be a pivotal part in such transformation," said Chen.

The event is running alongside the sixth Asia Education Leaders Forum and the first Education Partnership Forum.

Globally renowned experts from 11 countries will give their insights on this topic. These experts include the former prime minister of Australia, Julia Gillard; Surin Pitsuwan, the former secretary-general of ASEAN and former foreign minister of Thailand; as well as several current deputy ministers of education from Southeast Asia and education experts from the United States.

At the EPF, principals and school managers from eight countries will share their experiences, offering a platform for different schools in the region to build partnerships.

Worlddidac Asia 2015 will also put forward special showcases such as the Skills for the Future showcase, where mechatronics students from Asian countries will compete against each other in preparation for their WorldSkills adventure in Brazil this summer.