UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to focus on education in preparation for post-oil era
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Education will be key to unlocking sustainable development and the post-oil era, and will remain a focus for the UAE’s new President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, according to Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Hammadi (below), the undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for Performance Improvement.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s support for education is not limited to establishing a vision and ideas; it also includes monitoring and conducting field visits, launching distinguished initiatives, honouring outstanding students, and issuing directives aimed at advancing scientific development, Al Hammadi said.
The UAE President ordered the allocation of $1.6 million (AED 6 million) to buy books and educational materials at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2021, which showcased 500,000 books, the state-run news agency, Wam, reported.
Al Hammadi said: “We are proud of the President Sheikh Mohamed’s vision and decisions, which have boosted all levels of education as part of a future strategy, along with his keenness to establish the Institute of Applied Technology – Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Institute for Vocational Education, and the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, as well as to encourage the best universities in the world to open branches in Abu Dhabi, such as Sorbonne University and New York University, and increase the number of students enrolled in graduate programmes.”
A recent WEF report stated a worldwide improvement in students’ capacity for problem-solving to the average level of today’s top 10 scoring countries could add an additional $2.54 trillion to the global economy.
“To enable children to thrive, we must focus on creating learning systems that develop the skills that children, families, communities and societies really need for both today and tomorrow,” according to World Economic Forum’s vision for a future-proof Education 4.0.
Children need to find their way in an increasingly uncertain world – a post-pandemic world of climate change, automation, and rapid digitisation, the report noted.
The UAE President Sheikh Mohamed’s directives will help improve the skills of students and create a motivating environment to achieve an educational renaissance, Al Hammadi said.
The UAE President’s vision includes promoting academic and ethical values among children and the youth.
Al Hammadi also pointed out the UAE President’s keenness to establish the Mohamed bin Zayed Award for Best Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Teacher.
The award has enlarged its scope to include 13 countries and highlights the value of teachers and the award’s mission, enabling them to perform their national duties to prepare a generation equipped with knowledge and skills.
