Blended formats that enhance personalised learning are here to stay

Blended formats that enhance personalised learning are here to stay

Concluding day of 3-day conference also offered insights into the powerful impact of the IPA-Dubai Cares Africa Publishing Innovation Fund on local communities Sharjah: The 11th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) Publishers Conference concluded today (Tuesday) with exciting debates and discussions on a new era of educational publishing being steered by the digital age, and the resulting opportunities and challenges emerging for industry stakeholders. The discussions were attended by Bodour Al Qasimi, President, International Publishers Association (IPA); and publishing professionals representing the global industry. Representatives of the five projects that were selected for the 2021cycle of the Africa Publishing Innovation Fund (APIF) – a joint $800,000 four-year grant programme funded by UAE-based Dubai Cares and administered by the International Publishers Association (IPA) – discussed how the funding is transforming lives of children and local communities and addressing key challenges in the African publishing ecosystem. APIF: Supporting literacy, book access, and library restoration in Africa Moderated by Wanjiru Koinange, author and Co-Founder of Book Bunk in Kenya, the session titled ‘Surfacing African Publishing Innovations: The African Publishing Innovation Fund’, explored how the fund is helping provide critical literacy, livelihood, and life skills to poor and rural communities across the continent. Alison