The Director General of the IB, Mr Olli-Pekka Heinonen, arrived on Tuesday 14 February in the United Arab Emirates for a four-day official visit, where he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sharjah Education Academy (SEA), an academic institution for higher education, and the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), a local regulatory authority of the Government of Sharjah, UAE.
The signing ceremony took place during the First Compliance Conference “Ma’aman” on Thursday 16 February and was witnessed by His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and President of the University of Sharjah. The Director General of the IB, Mr Olli-Pekka Heinonen, signed the MoU with the President and Chairperson of the Board of Trustees–Her Excellency Dr Muhadditha Al Hashimi of SEA and the Director of SPEA–His Excellency Ali Al Hosani.
The MoU aims to expand access to IB programmes through mutual exploration of potential opportunities in shared interests and projects, with an emphasis on Arabic language learning, professional development opportunities and further areas of collaboration to increase student, leadership and teaching capacity in the region.
“At Sharjah Education Academy, we are steadfast in our belief that elevating the capabilities and skills of our educators is pivotal to attaining academic excellence. Our collaboration with the International Baccalaureate (IB) symbolizes a joint endeavor to bolster the expertise of our teachers through innovative and diverse academic programs, and educational initiatives. These programs will play a vital role in enriching their professional practice," said H.E. Dr Muhadditha Al Hashimi, President of Sharjah Education Academy and Chairperson of Sharjah Private Education Authority.
During his visit, Mr Heinonen also met with government officials, school leaders and representatives of education organizations.
 with Sharjah Education Academy (SEA), an academic institution for higher education, and the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), a local regulatory authority of the Government of Sharjah, UAE.){kind=icon}