At the opening of the first World Innovation Summit in Education (WISE) in Dohar, Qatar, developed from an idea of Her Royal Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser al Missned two years ago, one thousand invitees drawn from every continent, were told at the opening session, 'The future of education is about to turn a page'. It certainly felt that way over the three days that followed.

The three themes for the conference were pluralism, sustainability and innovation. Experiences, ideas and evidence of what works and what fails to work in learning were exchanged - along with e-mail addresses and links - by entrepreneurs, industrialists, business people, academics, educationalists, NGOs, politicians and community activists from the United States, Africa, Europe, the Gulf States and the UK. They endeavoured, for a short time at least, to put into action President Barak Obama's belief that 'innovation and education will be the currency of the 21st century'.

Remarkably, in spite of the differences in culture, faith, resources, wealth and understanding of what innovation might mean in practice, a common consensus emerged. Namely that incremental change isn't enough to fix the scale of the challenges that are already here - hunger, health epidemics, climate change, an ageing population in the west and a young and largely illiterate population in the Arab world. Plus education systems that even in the wealthier countries too often fail many of their children - and the hurdle that is global illiteracy. Seventy-nine million boys and girls are without education around the world. 800 million adults have no literacy skills - and a number live in the UK. Given the need for urgency, slow reform isn't the answer: much more radical, immediate and disruptive action is required.

In the Arab world, for instance, 40% of the population are under fifteen. One hundred million new jobs need to be created over the next ten years to create buoyant economies. High quality, imaginative and appropriate education is vital to ‘upgrade the human mind’ and deal with what Her Highness called, ‘the scourge of ignorance, isolation and fragility.’

WISE, now to be held annually, is part of a modernisation drive in Qatar – a country with a local population of under 400,000. According to the IMF, Qatar has the highest per capita income in the world, based on the assets of gas and oil. But the country, led by Sheikh Amir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, is also determined to develop a knowledge economy. Hence the establishment of Education City, the home of branch campuses of six international universities as well as a number of other institutions.

Dr Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, chair of WISE and the Qatar Foundation’s Vice-President of Education, said at the conclusion of the conference, the identification of ten strategic priorities, signalled, ‘a convergence among global educational leaders on the key issues that will affect and shape education in the 21st century’. These priorities include access to quality education; global citizenship, innovating new ways to learn; protecting educators and pursuing sustainable development.

What was also reassuring at WISE was the emphasis on action rather than rhetoric over the next twelve months – an army of innovators and would be innovators across the world, encouraged and supported to push forward the frontiers of learning; encouraged to exchange knowledge; encouraged to develop methods and metrics; as well as to reinforce each others’ belief that such efforts can and will make a difference on a global stage.