HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org), delivered a lecture at Abdul Hameed Shoman Cultural Forum entitled Democracy and Education.
HE Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh defined democracy from his own point of view, saying that democracy means equality in education and work opportunities and in all human requirements that should be conducted on basis of parity and justice among all citizens.
Tackling education, Abu-Ghazaleh underlined the crisis which the education sector runs through because of the education methods that still depend on indoctrination and teaching the same content which an instructor provides for students for decades, though that we are living in the knowledge age that is characterized for its increasingly advanced technologies which we have to live with and cope with.
“Information Technology has contributed to the development of our lives and created a revolution at all levels and systems in all over the world. However, one system is still left behind and that is the education sector,” Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh said.
Meanwhile, he highlighted the global trend on learning saying “we have to move from the Education era into the Learning era as the latter achieves equality between our children who are looking to continue their higher studies at well-recognized international universities and realizes at the same time democracy in education.”
He stated: “This method of learning saves a lot of travel and accommodation expenses abroad for the students and saves them as well difficulties of acquiring visa for countries that is difficult to acquire.Therefore, the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh University (TAGIUNI), Democratizing World-Class Education, will be the new and only pattern of its kind global that delivers programs of the reputable universities. It’s a new revolution in education that seeks to change the education method globally."
Abu-Ghazaleh defined TAGIUNI as an initiative to democraticize education, enhance global citizenship and empower citizens who haven’t availed themselves of the technological revolution’s advantages.
According to Abu-Ghazaleh, the mission of TAGIUNI is to make access to accredited educational programs easier by all. He revealed that the University has already signed cooperation agreements with a number of famous global universities explaining details related to teaching method at the University.
“We are currently shaping the new educational facade that is full with challenges as we are also having an opportunity to unite our efforts towards developing a more comprehensive knowledge-based society for a prosperous future for our young generations. We have also a role to perform in making education accessible and reinforce creativity movement in the society as a whole,” he said.
Abu-Ghazaleh concluded by stating “We are in a crisis if we don’t move from the Education method into the Learning method and it’s about time to achieve some sort of democracy and equality in the university education at the highest levels.”
The lecture was moderated by HE Mr. Thabet Al Taher, general director of the Forum.