Rohan Roberts: Dubai's 2017 Global Teacher Prize Contender
Can you tell us how you started your career, Rohan?
I’ve been with GEMS Education for 17 years. I more or less started my career in education with GEMS – back in 2000. Over the years, I was a Literature Teacher, Learning Coach, Head of Sixth Form, Head of English, Senior Leader, Head of Professional Development, Digital Leader… Currently my role is Innovation Leader for GEMS Innovation Research & Development. Generally, my role involves supporting schools in their innovation planning; leading the GEMS Honours Programme, and the GEMS Astronomy Programme; facilitating training for teachers – particularly in Neuroeducation and STEAM education. There’s also a big focus on the Global Futures Curriculum that GEMS have developed in collaboration with Singularity University. I’m responsible for coordinating that in the four pilot schools this year. There’s a lot more, but these are some of the highlights.
In addition to my day job I do a lot of other stuff among the community.
A highly successful multi-school Gifted and Talented programme, published author, students who consistently achieve top Cambridge exam results, co-founder of both Scifest and Cafe Scientifique and winner of multiple awards: with so many accomplishments under your belt, do you think there's one project in particular which captured the attention of the Global Teacher Prize judges more than the others?
That’s hard to say. I’d like to think that what was noticed was my focus on all aspects of education – both within a school environment and among the wider community. The movements and initiatives I’m involved in include students, teachers, parents, and the general community.
Is there a common thread running through all your programmes/ If yes, can you explain what this is?
I suppose what I want to convey through all my programmes is a sense of wonder about existence, a feeling of awe when I contemplate the universe; and an abiding optimism in technology and the future of our species. Underlying everything I do, is a belief in the importance of scientific literacy and evidence-based thinking. We’ve come a long way as a species. The technological level at which this world operates is astonishing. The single most important thing we can do to ensure this continues into the future is to nurture and cherish the values of the 17th Century Age of Enlightenment.
Considering everything you have accomplished to date, which one are you most proud of?
Personally, I’m most excited about the Intelligent Optimism movement that I co-founded with Raya Bidshahri four years ago. It’s a social movement and global media platform designed to encourage people to be thrilled, excited, and optimistic about the future in an informed and rational way. It started out as a small school-based movement, but very quickly it spread. We now have 370,000 followers with global chapters in Toronto, Boston, Surrey, Colombo, Kuala Lampur etc.
You say your passion for art, music and astronomy 'threads' through your pedagogy and work, can you explain this in more detail?
We’ve learnt more about the human brain in the last ten years than we have in all the previous centuries combined. Brain-mapping and brain-scanning are now exponential technologies, and they are giving us tremendous insight into how the brain works. Everything we’re learning from neuroscience is telling us that in order to promote creative, innovative, entrepreneurial students, we’ve got to focus on integrating strategies form the arts into the teaching of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
One of the most important 21st century skill to have is the ability to take a multi-disciplinary approach to problem solving. Which is why I take a cross-curricular approach to everything I do, and which is why SciFest Dubai is a festival that celebrates science through the arts – through drama, music, performance, dance, poetry, science fiction, debates - in addition to hardcore science workshops.
Of all the sciences, I’m most fascinated by neuroscience and astronomy – the science of the inner world and the outer world. Astronomy has been one of my big passions from a young age. Astronomy and cosmology are fascinating because there really is nothing grander than the universe. It is everything we know and everything we can know. Zooming out and looking at the larger picture is extremely important, and I wish more of our leaders were aware of their place in the cosmic scheme of things.
Much of what you do professionally involves your wife Lara, can you tell us about your work with her?
Lara and I collaborate very closely and support each other in everything we do. She’s the founder and CEO of SciFest Dubai and is just a phenomenal source of strength and encouragement. She’s an exceptional individual – supremely talented in multiple ways. We work well together.
What would you say are your main motivations in doing what you do?
The main motivation is to make a positive difference. I know I can’t change the world. But I do believe I can change the world around me. And that’s what I’m doing. I’m passionate about promoting Scientific Literacy, Moonshot Thinking, Cosmic Citizenship, Radical Openness, Intelligent Optimism, STEAM, Neuro-Education, Innovation in pedagogy, the Technological Singularity, and Freethinking. Above all, I believe in the values of the Enlightenment and wish to help young people find their Flow and solve the big challenges facing our planet and our species right now.
What would you ideally like to have achieved and be doing in 10 years’ time?
Peter Diamandis, the co-founder of Singularity University, says the new definition of a billionaire is someone who makes a positive impact on the lives of a billion people. That’s the kind of billionaire I want to be. Hard to say what I’ll be doing in 10 years’ time – I don’t make long term plans. But whatever it is, I’m sure I’ll be involved in the field of education and entrepreneurship.
Who or what has inspired you throughout your career and why?
Professionally, there were many people who supported me – far too many to name: but the highlights would be Tayeb Chakera, Raminder Vig, Ranju Anand, and Mick Gernon (all current and former GEMS principals).
On the personal front, undoubtedly Bertrand Russell (the British philosopher, logician, mathematician, social critic, political activist, and Nobel laureate) had the most profound and significant impact on my thinking and personality. I particularly enjoyed reading his thoughts on scepticism, critical thinking, educational reform, and self-doubt.
My wife, Lara, has been an amazing source of support. Raya Bidshahri, my co-founder, collaborator, and partner in crime has been a huge source of inspiration. Over the years, we've done so many inspiring and amazing things: city-wide science festivals, thinktanks, workshops, conferences, social clubs, community meetups, radio shows, media interviews, novel curricula, global movements, publications etc. Raya has the most amazing mind; and even though she's still young, she is someone I admire and am in awe of. She has a formidable intellect - but is yet so down to earth and just a warm, kind, caring, good human being who wants to make a positive impact on the world around her.
What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?
Wow, that’s a hard one… depends on the context really. Perhaps Christopher Hitchens: “Take the risk of thinking for yourself. Much more happiness, truth, beauty, wisdom, and understanding will come to you that way.”
If you won the Global Teacher Prize, what would you do with the one million dollars?
I’m not thinking about that right now. One doesn’t do things for awards or prize money. Whatever I do with the prize money will be related to education and promoting the various initiatives and movements I’m part of.
For more details on Roberts and his work visit his website here
