The 10th World Education Forum and the
World Exhibition on Educational Supplies and Solutions, organized by the
Ministry of Education at Dubai World Trade Center, concluded yesterday with 39
workshops, discussion and dialogue sessions. The Forum, in its current version,
has witnessed a remarkable interest and attendance by the visitors and
stakeholders in education field.
The Forum is held under the kind patronage of His
Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime
Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The Forum continued for three
consecutive days and hosted a group of experts, researchers and educators, who
introduces valuable topics that tackle methods of promoting educational
practices that drive the educational process forward.
At the outset of the opening session, H.E. Dr. Ahmed
Bahloul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education, delivered a speech
in which he stressed that the Forum comes at a time when the education sector
is at the forefront of the priorities of the UAE leadership, stemming from its
keenness to establish a competitive educational system, where it has gone
through several developments, the latest of which was the integration of the
ministries concerned under one umbrella and the appointment of three ministers
of education, so as to constitute a vital and harmonious entity concerned with
building and developing students' skills from their first nursery day until
graduation from post-graduate studies.
H.E. Dr. Al Falasi pointed out that the real challenge
before us lies in qualifying state students to occupy future jobs that do not
currently exist, which is what we are currently working on to crystallize a new
educational philosophy and a comprehensive educational plan to contribute to
achieving the desired goals.
H.E. added that the leadership's keenness to support
the education sector is represented, in one aspect, in the allocation of more
than 20% of the total federal budget for the year 2017, in addition to the fact
that the UAE Government has provided several scholarship programs for the
students wishing to complete their studies abroad.
H.E. added that "There have recently been three
high-level events focused on the education sector: the Mohammed Bin Zayed
Council for Future Generations, School Principals' Forum to discuss the views
and ideas that will lead to the optimal application of ethical education in all
state schools starting next academic year and the Emirates Public Policy Forum
organized by the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in Dubai.
"Two days ago, the students of the University of
New York Abu Dhabi were visited by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces,
where H.H. was oriented by the university administrators on the guidelines of
education, as based on the concept of global education, through the global
diversity of student society, in addition to the diversity of experiences and
nationalities of the faculty, who enjoy outstanding academic expertise in the
scientific, research and technical fields.
Dr. Al Falasi stressed that the directives of the UAE
leadership are to reach the number "1" position globally within the
next few years, which is the status we are targeting in the Ministry of
Education through expanding in the research and development fields, the innovation
opportunities available throughout the UAE universities, the adoption of
initiatives to enhance the participation of the private sector in the
educational system and to improve the quality of higher education.
He said that the technical changes witnesses in the
entire world are motivating us to take advantage of these new developments,
especially in the field of information and communication technologies, which
have made major changes in the field of higher education all over the world,
noting that the Ministry recognizes the importance of the increasing role of
technological tools and mechanisms that emerged in the 21st century,
which will prompt higher education institutions to keep pace with these changes
and how they interact with students.
Finally, Dr. Al Falasi stressed the importance of
investing in the UAE's human resources to ensure a prosperous future for our
country, where education plays a pivotal role to enable the UAE to achieve
excellence in research and development fields, new technologies, enhancement of
the country's global competitiveness and acquiring the right skills that would
contribute to pushing the fourth industrial revolution.
16/03/2017