As a leading education management organization that is committed to changing the world through education, SABIS® regularly participates in education conferences held around the world. These conferences give SABIS® the opportunity to share its experience and perspective with others, promote the proven SABIS® Educational SystemTM, and stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field. Several important education conferences were attended by a variety of individuals on the SABIS® team over the past few months.
In April 2016, the CADE 2016 Conferencia Anual de Ejecutivos (Annual Executive Conference) took place in Panama. The annual conference, which is organized by APEDE, Asociación Panameña de Ejecutivos de Empresa, focused on opportunities and challenges as well as resource and skill development in support of the upcoming opening of the >2X expansion of the Panama Canal. SABIS®’s Jose Afonso, Director of U.S. Business Development, attended the conference and participated as a panelist in a discussion that dealt with public education reform and improvement. Afonso outlined SABIS®’s 20+-year track record of success in the U.S. public charter school market and fielded questions from the audience, which included the Minister of Education, Ms. Marcela Paredes de Vazquez. The CADE conference was also attended by Mr. Udo Schulz, SABIS® Senior Vice President of International Business Development, and Mr. Rubén Márquez, SABIS® Panama Project Manager, who is overseeing the start-up of the SABIS® International School – Costa Verde in 2017.
”Panama is a small but very visible and strategically-located country essential for our network’s expansion into Latin America,” said Schulz. “SABIS®’s presence at the premier executive conference in the country is vital to spreading the message of how a first class, private, SABIS® college-preparatory school can contribute to the economic development of the country.”
SABIS® was also represented at the 2016 ASU-GSV Summit held in San Diego, California, from April 18-20, 2016. Among the most high-profile education conferences held annually, the ASUGSV Summit is an education technology conference attended by over 4,000 education entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and executives. SABIS® participated in the summit as a member of the Innovation Advisory Council, a group of organizations that advocates on behalf of the for-profit, private sector. SABIS® Vice President of U.S. Operations, Mr. George Saad, joined Jose Afonso and other Innovation Advisory Council members in presenting a variety of sessions to highlight the benefits of for profit, private sector education management.
In April 2016 representatives from SABIS® also attended the biennial International Finance Corporation (IFC) Private Education Conference. Held in Hong Kong, China, on April 25 and 26, 2016, this conference welcomed 400 global thought leaders in public and private education for the purpose of exploring the role of business partnerships in promoting the impact and sustainability of education. The conference, which was attended by Mr. Ayham Ayche, SABIS® Business Development Manager, and Mrs. Amy Wesley, SABIS® Corporate Director of Marketing and Communications, provided an ideal backdrop for the promotion of Last Bell: Breaking the gridlock in education reform, a book co-authored by SABIS® President Carl Bistany about the importance of engaging the private sector in raising public education standards.
In June 2016, SABIS® attended the 2nd Annual Education Innovation Africa conference held in Nairobi, Kenya. The conference focused on improving private sector participation in delivering sustainable educational programs in sub-Saharan Africa. The conference explored the roles of private capital, leadership, and technology in improving public, private, and social education across the African continent. Speakers at the conference included leaders from the global education industry. The conference keynote panel included Carl Bistany, President of SABIS®, and Harry Patrinos, Head of Education at the World Bank, as they examined ways that the private and public sectors could work together to deliver basic, affordable universal education. Other speakers included Mark DeSario, founder and CEO of Investbridge Capital, which is one of three founding members of Africa Crest Education (ACE), a consortium that includes SABIS®, Investbridge Capital, and Centum, Kenya’s largest publicly listed investment company.
DeSario discussed his views on how to invest in education in Africa and explained how ACE is positioned to invest in Africa for the long term with a focus on providing quality education through the SABIS® Educational System™.
“The conference created a lot of buzz around the SABIS® model, which is coming to sub-Saharan Africa for the first time, initially at the SABIS® International School – Nairobi (targeted to open in 2017), but with more schools in the pipeline in several cities,” said SABIS®’s Ayham Ayche, who was in attendance. “Our peers were certainly excited by SABIS®’s clear desire to make a difference and our commitment to becoming part of the fabric in the communities we wish to serve.”
To find out more information about the SABIS® International School – Costa Verde in Panama, visit siscostaverde.sabis.net. To learn about SABIS®’s expansion plans in Africa, visit africa.sabis.net.