The second Global Forum on Education took place on 3-5 March 2008 on the theme of Improving the Effectiveness of Education Systems with particular emphasis on teaching and teachers and innovation. In addition to plenary sessions, workshops addressing issues closely related to the OECD Directorate for Education’s recent and on-going activities were organised.

 

As with the first Global Forum on the theme of The Challenges for Education in a Global Economy, co-hosted with the Chilean Ministry of Education and held in Santiago on 24-25 October 2005, this event drew on the substantial networks, both member and non-member, of education officials and experts established since 1991 through the OECD Directorate for Education’s Programme for Co-operation with Non-Member Economies.

 

As a consequence of an education review of the Dominican Republic, President Leonel Fernández Reyna of the Dominican Republic proposed hosting the 2nd Forum in Santo Domingo. The event was co-organised with the State Secretariat for Education (SEE), the State Secretariat for Higher Education, Science and Technology (SEECyT) and the National Institute of Professional and Technical Training (INFOTEP). In addition, the World Bank Institute (WBI), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the International Association of Universities (IAU)  co-organised some sessions. The Forum was also sponsored by AustriaThe Flemish Community of Belgium and The Netherlands. The European Training Foundation and Blackboard, Inc.  also actively participated in the event.

 

In addition, the publication Reviews of National Policies for Education: Dominican Republic (published in English and Spanish) was presented and discussed at a seminar on the morning of 6 March 2008, to which participants of the Global Forum were also invited.