"This initiative is a vital part of the World Economic Forum's Accelerator Global Network, aiming to drive transformative change in education and skills development. Notably, this initiative marks the first time such a program will be implemented in the Baltics," according to a release about the initiative.
The Latvian Education Accelerator is a three-year program designed to be a collaborative effort among key stakeholders, including companies, universities, non-governmental organizations, and government agencies.
The accelerator's work will be coordinated by four co-chairs from the accelerator program's collaborating organizations which include both the public and private sectors: Minister of Education and Science Anda Čakša; Minister of Economics Viktors Valainis; Lauris Mencis, chairman of the board of Swedbank Latvia; and Maksims Jegorovs, managing director of the Accenture consulting company in the Baltics. It is planned that more than 50 participants will be involved in the program.
The public-private cooperation "aims to establish a systematic, decision-focused approach for a lasting and impactful transformation of the education sector in Latvia."
According to the infromation provided "The Education Accelerator model is developed by experts from the World Economic Forum who have a proven track record with similar initiatives across the world. They have developed a methodology for this and are going to be involved throughout the whole project, providing access to their data and team of experts." However, these experts are not specifically identified.
The stated goal of the program is "to ensure that the education system aligns with the needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution."
The launch event of the Latvian Education Accelerator will take place on November 30th from 16:30-19:00 at ALTUM conference hall at Doma Laukums 4, Rīga. All interested stakeholders are welcome to attend the event by registering at https://ej.uz/EducationAccelerator.
The World Economic Forum is an international organization for public-private cooperation, involving political, business, cultural, and other figures. It was founded by German businessman Klaus Schwab in 1971 and is best known for hosting an annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. More information: www.weforum.org.
According to his own resume, in 2009 Schwab was given an honorary doctorate by the University of Latvia and in 2008 he was awarded the Cross of Recognition, a high Latvian state award.
