Egyptian Ambassador: Teachers Are Partners in Building Student Personality and Developing Critical Thinking and Creativity

Osama Diab

The Egyptian Cultural Office organized a seminar titled “The Teacher: A Mission That Transcends Time in the Era of Digital Transformations,” on the sidelines of Teacher’s Day celebrations, under the patronage and in the presence of Ambassador Mohamed Abu Al-Wafa, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the State of Kuwait, with the participation of a distinguished group of academics, educators, and education stakeholders.

The seminar featured Dr. Ahdah Nasser Al-Hajjar, Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching Methods at the College of Education, Kuwait University, and Dr. Reem Yaqoub Al-Tamimi, Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education at the Basic Education College, State of Kuwait. They discussed the teacher’s role amid rapid digital transformations, the relationship between education and artificial intelligence, and contributed their academic and professional expertise to enrich the dialogue and open discussions on the future of the teaching profession and the requirements for preparing teachers in the digital age.

In his speech during the seminar, Ambassador Abu Al-Wafa emphasized that honoring teachers reflects appreciation for their noble mission and pivotal role in building human beings and shaping the future of nations. He noted that rapid developments in technology and artificial intelligence have brought fundamental changes to educational tools and methods of acquiring knowledge, but they have not diminished the importance of the teacher’s role; rather, they have increased their responsibilities and solidified their status.

He clarified that the teacher’s role is no longer limited to transmitting knowledge and explaining content, but has become that of a genuine partner in shaping students’ personalities, developing their critical thinking, creativity, and innovation, enhancing their awareness, and empowering them to engage with modern technology consciously and responsibly.

Abu Al-Wafa stressed that, regardless of how tools and methods evolve, the teacher remains the cornerstone of the educational process, capable of transforming knowledge into value, information into awareness, and technology into a tool for construction and development. He affirmed that investing in teachers is, in essence, an investment in human beings and in the future of societies.

The ambassador also expressed his deep appreciation for the State of Kuwait, a fraternal country, for its steadfast attention to the education sector, its commitment to developing its educational system, and its efforts to elevate the status of teachers and enhance their professional and pedagogical capabilities. He confirmed that academic and educational institutions in Kuwait play a vital role in preparing and qualifying educational cadres and keeping pace with recent developments in the fields of education and pedagogy.

For her part, Egyptian Cultural Attaché Dr. Amina Abu Al-Makarim emphasized in her speech that technological advancement and artificial intelligence represent tools that can enhance teachers’ performance and expand their capabilities, but the core of the educational process remains tied to the human role of the teacher, their ability to understand their students, shape their personalities, and develop their awareness and values. She also stressed the importance of developing teacher preparation and continuous professional training to keep pace with rapid changes in educational tools and learners’ needs. She praised the State of Kuwait’s attention to teacher preparation and its integration with society from the initial training stage, as well as the initiatives and spaces it provides for community participation and volunteering, which contribute to preparing teachers who are conscious of their professional and societal roles.