Lisbon:Khalifa International Award for Early Learning participated in two scientific sessions at the International Step by Step Association (ISSA) Conference held in Lisbon, Portugal, on October 22-23, 2026. This participation aligns with the institution's efforts to foster international knowledge exchange in early childhood education.

According to Wam, the Khalifa Award for Education, under the Zayed Humanitarian Legacy Foundation, was represented by Professor Steven Barnett and Professor Iram Siraj. Professor Barnett, from Rutgers University and the National Institute for Early Education Research, engaged in a session focusing on philanthropy, scaling, and financing architecture for integration. This session emphasized the significance of funding and partnerships in supporting and scaling early childhood services while ensuring sustainability and impact measurement.

Professor Iram Siraj, Professor Emerita at the University of Oxford, contributed to a session on building trust and shared language across the Early Childhood Development (ECD) system. This session explored methods to enhance collaboration among stakeholders and engage practitioners and families in dialogue, fostering integrated services responsive to children's needs.

The sessions highlighted the complementary aspects of financing, impact measurement, trust-building, dialogue, and partnerships to support quality and sustainable early childhood services. The Khalifa Award for Education's involvement underscores its commitment to promoting early childhood as a crucial foundation for learning and social development and adopting exemplary research and practices globally.