The Victoria International School of Sharjah (VISS), a premium school offering the Australian Curriculum and IB diploma, welcomed The Hon. Philip Dalidakis, Minister of Innovation and the Digital Economy for State Government in Victoria at the official opening of the schools’ new student Innovation Centre.
Opening during UAE Innovation Month, the new centre will be a hub for innovative and critical thinking to encourage students to participate in programs such as gaming, computer programming, robotics, VR and AI, and coding throughout their academic years.
Minister Philip Dalidakis officially opened the Innovation Centre following a tour of the school’s world-class facilities and was given insights into how the school’s curriculum and quality programs positively impact the students’ overall development. Students from the VISS Robotics Team, winners of the UAE National Robotics Competition 2017 in Dubai, showcased their winning project which also took them to China for the World WER Competition.
“It is was a great honour to host Minister Philip Dalidakis at the opening of our innovation centre,” said Dean Pyrah, Executive Principal at VISS. “The government’s initiative to create a country-wide hub of innovative ideas, especially through STEM education, has pushed us to build a culture of learning for students and showcase a different vehicle for their future.”
This academic year has marked many milestones for us such as celebrating our 10-year anniversary, and now opening an Innovation Centre. Our success over the past decade is a demonstration of our commitment to offering the highest quality education and facilities in the Northern Emirates that ensures the children experience the highest standard of teaching and a learning environment that would help them develop a foundation for future success in learning,” he added.
Speaking to the students, Minister Philip Dalidakis, said, “It is a privilege to be here and have the honour to open the Innovation Centre at VISS – a school established from the ethos of the Victorian educational system providing world-class teaching for students.” With the opening of the dedicated innovation centre VISS plans to roll out a series of activities and initiatives, that will further highlight innovation in education through different learning techniques and practices, such as STEAM, VR, coding, and STEM education.
