KIX EAP Team Retreat in the Maldives: Planning for KIX 2.0
The first KIX EAP team retreat successfully took place on 17-19 January 2023 in-person in the Maldives. The KIX EAP Hub team met together with 24 country representatives from 18 KIX EAP countries for a fruitful three days of reflection, brainstorming, and collaboration as participants worked to develop a vision for the second stage of KIX. The retreat was graciously coordinated by the Maldives National KIX Coordinator Visal Moosa and the National Steering Committee.
The first day of the retreat was spent on reflection, looking back over the successes and challenges faced by KIX EAP. Ultimately, country representatives felt strongly that KIX EAP has already created a meaningful impact in the region, and yet there are plenty of areas for growth and new areas of need in the next phase of KIX. The work on the second day pivoted to look ahead to KIX 2.0. Country representatives shared what they envision success to look like for KIX EAP in 2027, ways KIX EAP can contribute to systemic reform, and new and innovative ideas for the KIX EAP Hub to execute its future work. The country representatives emphasized a desire to create self-reliant, sustainable structures in this next stage of KIX. On the third and final day, part of the KIX EAP team and the Maldives National Team visited the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education with the Minister of Higher Education, where there were discussions on how KIX can support both Ministries. They then joined the other retreat participants for visits to Maldives National University, Immaddin School, and the National Museum.
Overall, the country representatives brought great enthusiasm for the work of the KIX EAP Hub thus far and high hopes for the future of KIX. They stressed the importance of KIX EAP’s role as knowledge brokers in the region and the crucial work it does as a bridge between policy analysis and educational planning. After three days of listening to invaluable insights, feedback, and requests from all the country representatives, the KIX EAP Hub team will now work to incorporate this information and collaboratively develop the next phase of KIX to start in the second half of 2023.
The KIX EAP 2.0 work plan builds on and integrates the successful features of KIX EAP 1.0 but also substantially expands its vision, objectives, and scope of activities. It reflects the new features of KIX 2.0 and takes into consideration the 2025 GPE Strategic Plan. Concretely, the additions are related to GPE’s systems transformation approach, the emphasis placed on country support, the strengthening of GEI as an intersectional feature, and the inclusion of five new countries (Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tunisia , Ukraine) and nine Pacific Island States (Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu).
To see more of the retreat, check out this KIX 2.0 Retreat video by Rasha Sharaf (KIX EAP Knowledge Lead):