The National Ambassadors Program "estedad," launched by the Ministry of Education (MoE) in July, has attracted 1,087 male and female students, which raises the turnout by 60% compared to last year. The program has accepted this year students from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), with about 60 male and female students taking part in it, which reflects the bilateral cooperation emanating from the Saudi-Emirati exchange program.
The MoE continued the program virtually in June and August, during the school vacation of the academic year 2021, and the duration of each program was approximately three weeks. The aim was to overcome the exceptional obstacles caused by the coronavirus pandemic, keep the knowledge cycle running, provide the students with an ample space during the school vacation to enhance and enrich their capabilities and provide them with the knowledge of the 21st century. The MoE also aimed to acquaint the students with the higher education institutions before they started their university and professional studies, according to the highest standards.
It is worth mentioning that the "estedad" Program is an enrichment initiative, implemented in partnership with universities and institutions in the country, targeting students and teachers countrywide. It aims to build their capabilities in various specialized fields and is characterized by its flexibility and ability to implement and measure impact. It provides an ideal opportunity for students to innovate, create, compete, and be able to develop. It is also designed to be supported by outputs and based on achieving results and to provide qualitative training in the field of development, according to an advanced university level.
The current course of the "estedad" Program involves 44 programs in five tracks; they are the Scientific Research Track, the Enrichment Track, the Entrepreneurship Track, the Diplomacy Track, and the Media and (Media) Communications Track, which has been introduced this year. Thirteen universities countrywide are taking part in the program. They provide the training framework for each track and the skillful content required for each track separately.
H.E. Dr. Amna Al-Dahak Al-Shamsi, Undersecretary of Activities Sector at the MoE, said that the MoE had provided an innovative set of programs under the summer version of the National Ambassadors Program, which included theoretical and practical interactive virtual training for a wide range of citizens and foreign students, as well as distinguished teachers from various schools in the UAE.
She said that the program kept pace with the changes the world was witnessing, due to the coronavirus "covid-19" pandemic. She added that the MoE had placed the health and safety of the students on top of its priorities when implementing these programs, while ensuring the continuity of learning under the various circumstances. The "estedad" program had been developed in cooperation with a group of professors and specialized experts from leading universities and institutions in the country, who implemented it with passion, dedication, and high level of quality, she said. She added that the aim was to empower students with the skills and latest knowledge in the fields of scientific research, entrepreneurship, media, communications, and diplomacy, enhance their chances of success at the university and in their careers, and prepare them for the labor market.
She stressed that this highlighted the MoE's keenness to enhance the role of its partners in building the educational system and achieve the strategic goals and plans of the UAE and reflected the insightful vision of its wise leadership.
Al-Shamsi said that the "estedad" programs achieved an unparalleled success last year, adding that students from the KSA had joined the program this year, as part of the joint Emirati-Saudi cooperation in the field of education.
She concluded by saying, "We are fully confident that constructive cooperation with our partner universities and institutions will achieve more successes in these programs, especially since the MoE is very keen to enhance the presence of the "estedad" Program in the educational field and to continuously develop it to match the best international levels. By doing this, we seek to push our students and teachers to achieve a successful beginning in the various fields."