The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF) has announced that the second edition of the Knowledge Conference, to be held from December 7 to 9, 2015, at Grand Hyatt Dubai, will focus on innovation as its key theme.

Expanding the topics and sessions from the highly successful First Knowledge Conference held last year, this year the event will host several knowledge experts from diverse sectors as well as diplomats and government representatives.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, witnessed the inaugural event and the announcement of the winner of the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award, which honours an international personality for his or her contributions to the dissemination of knowledge. The award also raised the profile of the event, establishing it as an international knowledge event.

His Excellency Jamal bin Huwaireb, Managing Director of MBRF, said the second edition of the Knowledge Conference will feature innovation as the main theme in line with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan declaring 2015 as the Year of Innovation.

The Knowledge Conference 2015 will have three core pillars education, information technology and scientific research. Education has been chosen as a major pillar considering its significance to the progress and development of the society. The quality of education is closely linked to social development. They are two sides of the same coin, as building human capital is critical to achieving sustainable development and social justice to improve the quality of life of the people.

In view of the significant role of education in the development process, discussions on this theme will provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to examine the latest innovative trends, best practices and latest technologies related to the education sector, HE Bin Huwaireb said.

He added: "Information technology has transformed the society on an unprecedented scale, and today digital media plays a key role in communications. It is therefore an important and effective element in the fields of development, and a pillar for all major projects. Thus, it is important to discuss ways of leveraging innovative information technology to serve the goals of sustainable development.

HE Bin Huwaireb added that research is considered the most significant stage in the progress of societies and nations. Research that led to technological and knowledge development has helped raise human capabilities. It is a pivotal area that influences development efforts, scientific and technological status, infrastructure capabilities and knowledge dissemination in any country.

The first session of the Knowledge Conference witnessed the launch of the Third Arab Knowledge Report and the start of work on the Arab Knowledge Index, an indicator that monitors the status of knowledge in the Arab world on an annual basis.

The three-day event discussed key issues on the knowledge domain that touch the lives of people. It paved the way for effective dialogue on the development of knowledge, and looked at innovation as a key pillar to build knowledge based societies and achieve the aspirations of the people.