World Innovation of Education Summit (WISE) was established by Qatar Foundation in 2009 as an international and multi- sectoral platform that accommodates creative thinkers to discuss and produce significant actions through innovation, whose end is to build the future of education. The WISE activities involve annual Summit and an array of programs with strong belief that addressing education in a new way is urgently needed, when education serves as a mean to short and long term solution to face global challenges, such as poverty, conflict, unemployment, inequality, environmental sustainability and others. 2013 WISE Summit “Reinventing Education for Life” aims to reveal how innovation is able to close the gap between what the learning we currently have and the learning we truly need to meet the challenges and hopes of both societies and individuals around the world.
Our fellow YCAB staff, Muhammad Iman Usman who represents YCAB International in program management, communications, and fundraising activities in the United States, is selected among hundreds of applicants as one of 33 outstanding young people who were selected to join WISE Learners’ Voice Program 2013- 2014. The WISE Learners’ Voice Program is part of WISE one- year program that gathers essential views of young people under 25 year old who have delivered impact and improvement to education world. The program intends to assemble their skills in communication, entrepreneurship, and leadership, to ensure that decision- makers pay attention to their views as well as equipping them to take on primary role in their specializations and in the education world.
Iman has been widely known as a youth leader and advocate, project manager, consultant, public speaker, and writer. His social activities started since he was 10 through the establishment of a free course and library for kids, and advocating child rights in his neighborhood in Padang, West Sumatera. Prior to joining YCAB, since 2009, Iman was the President and Co-Founder of the Indonesian Future Leaders, a non- profit organization which concerns on youth empowerment and youth leadership development for social change. He was also CEO of Inspire-Cast, an online platform that produces weekly podcast of inspiring stories from Indonesians around, and the Co-Founder of RuangGuru.com, an online start up which connects tutors and students outside the school. His works and commitments on youth empowerment have been recognized and celebrated globally, including: the 2011 ASEAN Youth Award, the 2011 United Nation Youth Assembly Recognition on Humanitarian Development, the 2011 Global Teen Leader Award, the 2010 British Council’s Global Changemaker, the 2008 Ashoka Young Changemaker Award, and the 2008 Indonesian Young Leader Award by President of Republic of Indonesia, among others.
Iman’s involvement in YCAB is one of his ways to to fulfill his mission to support access to good quality education in Indonesia. He believes that good quality education is not privillege, but it is the right for every single child in the world. In the USA, Iman works as YCAB International’s US Representation to manage YCAB’s fundraising activities to support programmes in Indonesia, and build stronger international presence through developing communication and programmes globally. He hopes by participating as a WISE Learner, it will provide him with the necessary intellectual and practical environment to enrich and expand his understanding of creating supportive policy solutions to address the most pressing educational issues. He will also be able to learn from other WISE Learners who have taken many initiatives in their own countries. In return, he believes that his unique background, accomplishments, and network can provide additional value for the program. He can be the door through which the program can engage with certain global youth movements and other education programs for social change, gain access to educational development in Indonesia, and collaborate on educational development.