Cambridge-based Open Book Publishers is one of fifteen projects chosen by WISE for providing a compelling, innovative solution to one of today’s most pressing challenges in education.

The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) has today named Open Book Publishers as one of the 2014 WISE Awards Finalists. This year's list of Finalists represent some of the most inspiring and visionary work undertaken by non-governmental and charitable organisations, cultural institutions and in the private sector. Inaugurated in 2009, the WISE Awards identify and promote unique and novel solutions to real-world education challenges.

From milkshake bars in Mauritius, to fish farming in Uganda, to a Fair Trade cafe in Scotland, thousands of young people from all over the World are setting up inspirational school enterprises that are giving them hands-on business experience.

Finalists showcase creative approaches to issues of access, quality and employment. The projects combine conventional tools with a range of technologies to achieve results in a variety of areas including addressing special needs, encouraging a love of literature, running a small business, and reaching marginalised communities.

Open Book Publishers is a social enterprise revolutionising access to secondary school’s textbooks and academic titles. Its books are published in hardback, paperback, pdf and ebook editions and are also available for free online, which can be read via the website, downloaded, reused or embedded anywhere.

Open Book allows learners from across the globe access to research and educational materials that were previously expensive to buy or only reached from well-endowed university libraries. The project has a particular emphasis on promoting access to educational resources in developing countries. The principle behind Open Book is that the provision of free access to academic texts can create a financially more efficient and intellectually more inclusive and responsive education system, particularly for secondary and higher education institutions. Learners accessing Open Book also benefit from being able to download, embed and reuse free of charge on multiple platforms including tablets and mobile phone devices.

H.E. Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, Ph.D., Chairman of WISE and Chairman of the WISE Awards Jury, commented: "This year’s WISE Awards Finalists represent some of the most innovative and groundbreaking projects currently changing lives around the world. They originate in many countries and they are breaking down barriers to education in many areas. The sustainable, replicable solutions created by these educational projects can help improve access, quality and relevance the world over.”

Dr Alessandra Tosi, Managing Director at Open Book says: "We are very excited to be named as one of the 2014 WISE Awards Finalists. We are committed to opening up access to textbooks for secondary schools and university-level titles, and hope that the philosophy behind Open Book continues to gain support from around the globe so even more learners are able to view texts and research previously closed off to them."

The six winning projects will be announced in September and celebrated at the sixth World Innovation Summit for Education, November 4-6, 2014, in Doha, Qatar. In addition to publicity and networking opportunities, each will receive $20,000 (US).

For further information about WISE and the WISE Awards, please go to www.wise-qatar.org or visit the WISE Awards blog: http://awardsblog.wise-qatar.org/.

For more information about Open Book Publishers, please go to www.openbookpublishers.com/

 

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