TAMAM 12th Gathering

The gathering was attended by around 300 participants from 11 Arab countries, including educators, school leaders, researchers, and members of the TAMAM network, representing a wide array of perspectives and expertise. The attendees also included high personnel including Princess Sumaya Bin El Hassan, His Excellency Dr. Azmi Mahafzah, the Minister of Education and Higher Education in Jordan, officials from Jordan Ministries and Ministries of Education in Oman and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the President and Vice Presidents of the American University of Beirut.
The event was marked by a series of enriching sessions and discussions, and featured a diverse group of high speakers, including AUB key personnel, policymakers, experts, researchers, and practitioners, as well as members of the TAMAM steering team. 
During the second day of the gathering, a gala dinner was arranged for select members of the TAMAM network. This special event was designed to acknowledge and appreciate key contributors to TAMAM, as well as schools that have demonstrated innovation by initiating various TAMAM improvement projects. It served as a great opportunity to inspire and motivate members, strengthen their commitment, foster a deeper sense of belonging, and instill pride in being part of TAMAM.

The opening ceremony featured an inaugural session with speeches delivered by the sponsor of the gathering Her Royal Highness Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan; Dr. Azmi Mahafzah, the Jordanian minister of higher education and scientific research; Dr. Fadlo Khuri, AUB president; Dr. Fares Dahdah, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at AUB; and Dr. Sally Turkie, chair of the TAMAM advisory board. Dr. Rima Karami, the creative director of TAMAM and chair of the Department of Education at AUB then delivered the opening address.

The opening ceremony also included the honoring of Mr. Khaled Ali Turki, the founder, and chairman of the board of Khaled Ali Turki & Sons Company and the Dhahran Schools and the main funder of TAMAM for seventeen years. Dr. Fadlo Khuri awarded the President’s Medal of Appreciation to Mr. Khalid Al-Turki in recognition of his enduring support for AUB and TAMAM. The opening ceremony was followed by a poster exhibition that lasted for three days of the event showcasing around 75 posters from schools, collaborating institutions with TAMAM, sponsors, and the TAMAM steering team.

Keynote addresses and panel discussions delved into various facets of educational reform. Topics ranged from exploring the linguistic and cultural dimensions of Arab learners, empowering students as leaders and change agents, to the importance of partnerships between educational institutions and families for community-rooted schools. Sessions showcased TAMAM research-based designs along with real practical anecdotes from schools. They underscored the importance of innovative educational practices that expand leadership capacity among all school stakeholders extending from teachers to students and families. Sessions also emphasized the importance of professional networking among schools, encouraging the formation of “”Network Improvement Communities (NICs).”” The Jordan Hub networking initiative was demonstrated along with its in-depth study conducted by the TAMAM steering team leading to the development of a framework for inter-school collaboration. This model includes essential elements crucial for the success of potential future NICs. The latter were further emphasized to be replicated among TAMAM schools, either within the same country or across countries, to tackle urgent common educational challenges or needs. By leveraging the TAMAM journey and the inter-school collaboration framework established, TAMAM schools were encouraged to devise future NIC initiatives to plan, implement, evaluate, and refine targeted interventions aimed at enhancing educational outcomes.

The gathering also focused on building partnerships for sustainable improvement illustrating how TAMAM functions as a robust collaboration between practitioners and researchers. This synergy aims to create practical, research-informed, and evidence-based solutions for school-based improvement. Researchers at the gathering as well as those attending from abroad were invited to a special hybrid research session designed specifically for them. The session was crafted to involve them in the TAMAM research agenda and contribute to building a grounded impactful knowledge base for school-based improvement. The objective was to explore potential avenues for collaboration between the researchers and TAMAM aiming to mutually benefit their academic pursuits while also advancing a purposeful research agenda that enriches both practice and policy.

Furthermore, discussions emphasized the importance of enhancing the leadership capabilities within the TAMAM Professional Network. Interactions with policymakers and educators underscored the imperative of melding innovative practices with educational policies, championing a united approach to reform. This collective endeavor seeks to navigate the complexities of educational transformation, ensuring that the fruits of innovation are effectively integrated into the fabric of educational systems across the Arab region to achieve a systemic change from a grounded perspective.