My journey to the ICTE started around February, 2016 with the acceptance of my application, admission and sponsorship by the UNESCO/Great Wall of China to advance my career in educational policy, leadership and management. The receipt of this news is one of my most unforgettable and exciting moments because besides, the enthusiasm to do the programme at a prestigious university, it was my very first time to have an international travel. It was a turning point in my life and I have never regretted my decision. I looked around for all the requirements desired to travel to China and on March, 03rd 2016, I was on my journey to Shanghai China.

    We met great people from ICTE who welcome us at the airport and settled us at our hostels. The diversity of people from across the world including; China and other Asian countries, South America, Southern Africa, West Africa, North Africa, Central Africa, East Africa and other countries was beautiful, warm, collaborative with a shared goal of promoting quality education for sustainable development. We worked as teams on a number of projects, share ideas and smiles and built lasting networks.

 The choice of content was tailor made for our diverse countries and teaching methods and approaches brought out the best in us. I remember we visited model schools around Shanghai, attended international conferences and had field trips. These challenged our perspectives of the world; ways of teaching and we very much appreciated the gap that UNESCO and the Great Wall sought wise to fill by bringing us on board. Their intention was humanity and humility!

    I am happy to report that soon after returning to my home country, I received a promotion from a classroom tutor to a Regional Inspector of Schools based on the qualification I obtained from the ICTE. I am at the forefront of educational policy development, review and implementation not only at regional level but the country level at large. Thanks to the knowledge I obtained at the ICTE. Besides this, I enrolled for a PhD programme with the support of ICTE team who gave me a recommendation letter and having had an international exposure also contributed so much to my acceptance to the PhD programme in foreign country, Nigeria. You can imagine the many more direct and indirect benefits that I have gained out of my stay and training at ICTE, ECNU.

 To the mighty faculty including but not limited to: Prof. Li ping, Prof. Huang Zhicheng (my academic advisor), Prof. Ko-chih Tung, Prof. Zhan Shengli, Dr. Li Yan, Dr. Ru Wang (Alisa), and Prof. Khan Qutub, you greatly impacted our lives in a holist way. We did not only gain knowledge but also skills of the 21st century and values. We are now more employable and fit anywhere globally.

    To the ICTE - ECNU, I congratulate you upon this great milestone of your 60th anniversary. You are a university without walls. I proudly associate and celebrate with you.  You shared your light with us and made us elite and luminous. we can only pay you back by lighting and transforming many more lives within our means and reach. Continue touching and transforming lives because education is the only weapon that can be used to change the world positively (Nelson Mandela).