Oriental Association for Education and Research (OAER) goal is to change the world through education. It may sound idealistic, but this is precisely OAER mission. It is what motivates the work of everyone at the OAER sponsored college and schools- from faculty and staff, to students and alumni, to our associates and supporters. It inspires our teaching and our research. It fuels our work with teachers, principals, and leaders in education both here and across the world.

We are driven by the belief that every child deserves a high-quality education and that educational opportunity is a basic human right. Regardless of where a child is born, who his parents are, the color of her skin, whether he can see or hear, or whether she sleeps in a mansion or a shelter: that child deserves a high-quality education. Providing adequate educational opportunities is one of the most fundamental obligations each generation owes to the ones that follow.

We are witnessing an intersection of great challenge and great opportunity. At the moment, far too many students lack access to a high-quality education; still others are unable to achieve their full potential. Our sponsored college/school’s classrooms are designed for the 20th century, while technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. And much too often, ideology and politics trump evidence and common sense, making it difficult to have honest conversations about the best ways to fix what is broken in education. That is the challenge.

At the same time, we have tools available today that were unimaginable a generation ago, in the form of learning technologies and new insights into how the brain develops and functions, which together could change the very nature of teaching and learning. Education also has the full attention of the world. All across the globe, individuals, organizations, and governments recognize that education is the defining issue of our time, crucial to everything from personal opportunity and social mobility to world peace and prosperity. And there is a fierce hunger for reliable evidence about what works, creative solutions to long-standing problems, and strong leaders who can enact transformational change in schools and school systems. That is the opportunity.

OAER is poised to make a genuine difference in the society. The tradition of innovation that has marked the school is as vibrant as ever. That we are located within the finest research institution in the country gives us unrivaled opportunities. Our students and faculty are unmatched anywhere in the country. We are diverse in our outlook and our approach, beholden not to any ideology but to a fierce desire to discover - and help implement - what works.

No other institution has this opportunity, but with opportunity comes responsibility. We must accept this responsibility and seize this moment. The future, as Secretary Faust has described, is indeed impatient. With your help, Coming decade our school will be rank the best in the country, that has been, and will continue to be, like no other. Together, we will learn to change the world. Thank you for your support.