Stavros N Yiannouka, CEO of WISE
As the world races through rapid technological transformation, education stands at a defining crossroads between innovation and identity, automation and empathy.
The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), an initiative of Qatar Foundation, is once again set to take the global stage to explore these questions at its 12th edition, taking place in Doha on November 24–25, 2025, under the theme “Humanity.io: Human Values at the Heart of Education.”
In an interview ahead of the summit, Stavros N. Yiannouka, CEO of WISE, discussed how WISE 12 is redefining education in an age shaped by artificial intelligence (AI), while ensuring that innovation continues to serve humanity — not replace it.
Q: AI has the potential to transform teaching and learning in unprecedented ways. WISE aims to open the conversation to ensure that innovation remains rooted in human values. How is WISE 12 approaching this challenge?
A: We are entering an age where machines can learn and act faster than humans. Yet we do not know if they will reason the way we do or care about the same things that we care about. Humanity.io is a call to place human empathy, ethics, and well-being back at the center of education. At WISE 12, we want to remind the world that humanity must be both the input and the output of learning systems — shaping not only the skills and knowledge that we hope to acquire, but also the values that we want to project and the kind of people who hope to be.
Q: WISE’s research and policy work are central to its mission. How are these efforts translating into tangible change?
A: At WISE, research is not just an academic exercise, but it is the foundation for actionable recommendations to shape education policy and practice. Our Action Plan for Inclusive Education in Qatar, for example, has guided national frameworks to make classrooms more accessible to every learner. We also worked with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to study teachers’ readiness for generative AI, and the findings are already being used to design professional development programs. Beyond Qatar, the Global Research Consortium on AI, Higher Education, and the Workforce brings together institutions from Ghana, India, Spain, and the United States to explore how technology can strengthen higher education rather than disrupt it. These projects reflect WISE’s role as a bridge between ideas and implementation.
Q: Partnerships play a central role in building that bridge between research and action. Why are they so essential to WISE’s model?
A: Education is far too complex for any one actor to solve alone. WISE works by bringing together thinkers and doers, policymakers, researchers, innovators, and community leaders to co-create solutions that are both locally grounded and scalable. Our strength lies in these partnerships. When local educators from Ghana or Jordan share a platform with global researchers, we see that great learning ideas can come from anywhere. As we often say at WISE, excellence in education is not defined by geography; it is defined by positive changes to learning and life outcomes.
Q: WISE is also known for giving young people a voice. How does that take shape at this year’s Summit?
A: Young people are integral to shaping education today. At WISE 12, they will moderate sessions, challenge assumptions, and lead discussions through the Youth Studio. Their ideas consistently influence our research and programming. For example, the priorities of our new research cycle literacy, equity, and the responsible use of AI, were shaped by youth-led dialogues from previous summits.
Q: The WISE Prize for Education is expanding its scope this year to highlight multiple innovators, not just a single laureate. How does this reflect WISE’s broader vision for impact?
A: A few years ago, we saw the need as a global initiative to move beyond the idea of recognizing successful education innovators and hoping that our spotlight and their example would inspire others to help scale their solutions. Instead, we wanted to focus on working directly with innovators and entrepreneurs to help seed solutions that address specific global challenges in education. That’s why this year, we are presenting six finalists, each developing innovative and scalable solutions from inclusive literacy programs to digital learning tools and teacher development models. Each finalist has received tailored mentorship and technical support to expand their reach. The goal is to accelerate innovation where it is most needed and to help transform promising ideas into scalable solutions.
Q: WISE often describes itself as a platform that connects global and local experiences. How does that balance play out in practice?
A: WISE is proudly rooted in Qatar, and that gives us a unique position to connect the Global North and South. Our platform is built on inclusion — we bring together policy leaders, grassroots educators, startups, and researchers who might never meet otherwise. That diversity creates genuine innovation. The best solutions often come when a policymaker meets an entrepreneur with exactly the idea they have been searching for. This is what makes WISE different: it turns global dialogue into real, local impact.
Q: Finally, what do you hope people will take away from WISE 12?
A: A renewed sense of possibility. We want every participant to leave Doha with a revitalised conviction, backed by evidence, that education can still be the most powerful force for human progress. At the same time, WISE has always been about ensuring that education never loses its heart. The world is changing fast, but the purpose of learning remains the same to nurture people who can think deeply, act compassionately, and lead humanely.
