5th Istanbul Education Summit organised by Türkiye Maarif Foundation kicks off

The 5th Istanbul Education Summit, organised by the Türkiye Maarif Foundation (TMF) to foster an in-depth discussion on the social and cultural impact of education worldwide, opened on Friday.

The event, themed "Healing the World through Education” started Friday at the Atatürk Cultural Centre in Istanbul with Türkiye’s First Lady Emine Erdoğan participating as the guest of honour.

Other attendees included education ministers from countries where the Maarif Foundation operates, who will take part in panel discussions, youth sessions and ministerial dialogues throughout the summit.

This year’s summit highlights future-oriented perspectives, institutional approaches and innovative practices. It has drawn ministerial-level participants from several African countries, who will join the discussions throughout the event.

At the opening session, participants watched a film on the story Abdoul Rachid, a survivor of the tragic 2021 school fire in Niger that claimed the lives of many of his schoolmates.

Rachid, a student at the Niger-Türkiye Friendship School, walked onto the stage carrying a wooden ‘luh’ slate used as a notebook that he salvaged from the fire, which he presented to Emine Erdoğan.

In his remarks, TMF President Mahmut Özdil said the foundation launched a new global education initiative in 2016 to share Türkiye’s extensive educational experience with its partners while enriching it together and “offering a new voice” in the field of education.

 Özdil noted that the foundation continues its work with over 70,000 students across 64 countries.

"From day one, our goal has never been only to open schools," he said.

 "We consider building a strong theoretical foundation—one that allows us to reflect on the philosophy, objectives and methods of education, and evaluate our work accordingly—as a core part of our mission. Our academic publications, curriculum development efforts, long-term projects such as the Turkish Maarif Encyclopedia, and the Istanbul Education Summit, now in its fifth edition, are the concrete outcomes of this pursuit."

 He said the summit enables leading global education thinkers and policymakers to discuss current issues collectively, helping keep their educational vision “dynamic and constantly renewed.”

 Özdil also addressed inequalities in education, listing the challenges faced by disadvantaged children.

 The summit will continue on Saturday with special sessions, panels and keynote speeches before concluding with an awards ceremony.