The 35th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF), organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) under the theme ‘Turn the Page, Read the World’ and running until 18 September 2026, discussed the future of educational and academic publishing, exploring the challenges posed by digital advancements.
Leading experts and specialists in the field addressed this issue at the Quality Education and Academic Publishing Conference, which was held on the Don Quixote stage at the Fair. The discussion highlighted the importance of forming effective partnerships between publishers, educational institutions, and governments, with an aim to advance the sector and strengthen its ability to keep pace with rapid developments in the field.
Moderated by Dr Ahmad Elsaid, founder and chief executive officer of Bayt Al Hikma Cultural Industries Group, the event brought together Gvantsa Jobava, President of the International Publishers Association (IPA); Mohamed Rashad, President of the Arab Publishers’ Association; H.E. Rashid Al Kous, Executive Director of the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA); and Dr Luo Lin, dean of the School of Foreign Studies at Beijing Language and Culture University.
In her remarks, Gvantsa Jobava noted the importance of providing teachers and students with diverse options when selecting educational content. She affirmed that the quality of education is closely linked to the level of cooperation between publishers, educators, and governments, particularly as international experiences has shown that the quality of contents and education declines when such partnerships are absent.
The IPA President called for taking unique local characteristics into consideration, and adapting ready-made educational models from other countries to suit local environment and culture. She explained that the International Publishers Association addresses these issues by exchanging expertise and strengthening cooperation between the various stakeholders in the educational publishing ecosystem.
For his part, the President of the Arab Publishers Association Mohamed Rashad affirmed that global educational publishing first requires a clear definition of its concept, whether in relation to schoolbooks or university books. He explained that the production of educational content is no longer the sole responsibility of the author and publisher, , noting that the educational ecosystem as a whole has become an essential partner in producing content.
“The Arab world possesses important elements to advance this industry – from language and students to financial capabilities – but developing educational publishing requires significant investment,” Rashad said, noting that while educational and academic books were once a driving force for the Arab publishing industry, the region has now become increasingly reliant on foreign publishers.
Meanwhile, H.E. Rashid Al Kous discussed the UAE’s efforts to support the educational publishing sector, noting that the Emirates Publishers Association has fostered stronger ties between publishers and official entities, while benefiting from international partnerships to attract the best global talent and expertise.
The EPA Executive Director affirmed that Emirati publishers are well-placed to keep pace with the development of the UAE’s educational ecosystem, given the comprehensive nature of the Emirati curriculum and the existence of long-term strategic projects in that regard. He added that the UAE’s advanced digital infrastructure enables publishers to fulfil their role and respond to rapid transformations in the educational content industry.
On the same note, Dr Luo Lin, Dean of the School of Foreign Studies at Beijing Language and Culture University, discussed China’s experience in academic publishing. He explained that his university places great emphasis on cultural diversity and openness to different cultures, working in collaboration with publishers to develop educational content capable of meeting the needs of a diverse academic environment.
The Quality Education and Academic Publishing Conference concluded that the future of educational publishing does not depend on technological advancement alone, but also on the ability of all stakeholders to build an integrated ecosystem that ensures content quality, responds to the needs of teachers and students, and preserves cultural and linguistic singularity, while benefitting from international expertise and employing technology to advance the book industry.
