MOHESR Smart Applications Award Launched Today

His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research emphasized during the launching ceremony on Thursday of the Ministry’s (MOHESR) Award for Smart Applications (First Session 2013-2014) that "initiatives do not end at any success, achievement or failure-God forbid-…everyone is looking for a bright future in which the higher education sector supplements our various institutions with the most distinctive and qualified expertise".

In an address, delivered on his behalf by the Ministry's Undersecretary, Dr. Saeed Al Hassani, the Minister quoted a phrase by HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahayan: "Developing individuals on the Emirates soil is the real treasure since wealth is not eternal and science is the essence of progress."

He stated: "HH has realized the UAE citizen's deep sense of citizenship, which he upholds, not as a mere slogan void of any meaning, but as a true exercise driven by a deep conviction, faith and pride in and love of his country and pride in belonging to one family and knowing that the shortest road to a goal is confrontation and endeavor to explore the unknown, overcome human weakness, limitations and limited potentials to arrive at the universe of knowledge."

The Award is considered the first step to compete for HH Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashed Al Maktoum's Smart Government Prize. MOHESR is the first ministry to launch such a prize since Sheikh Hamadan announced implementation of the initiative during the Government Excellence Conference.

The Award targets university students of various academic stages and enrolled students as well. During the first day of launching the prize, the United Arab Emirates University, Khalifa University and the Higher Technical Colleges expressed their students' desires to participate in the Award; hence, universities will compete as multiple teams, each group devising an application to transform one of the ministry's services into a smart service.

The opportunity will be open in the second stage of the prize for a larger number of UAE universities since the prize is meant to motivate and encourage universities and students to conceive creative and innovative smart applications and guarantee round-the-clock access to governmental services.

It also aims to provide the highest international standards through raising efficiency of educational services, supporting continuous improvement and development of the   higher education sector.

In addition, it aims to support scientific research and encourage creativity and innovation as well as contribute to creating a knowledge-based society, in order to strengthen strategic partnerships with educational institutions, both governmental and private, and invest the energies of students, urging them to compete in a positive and fruitful manner.

In his opening remarks at the ceremony, Sheikh Hamdan said the prize reflects the leadership's keenness to promote the Ministry's role to offer outstanding governmental services and contribute to fulfilling the UAE's 2021 vision in line with HH Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashed Al Maktoum's smart government vision upon which he envisioned the future government.

"We are committed to always be up to expectations, so that the prize can achieve its objective of galvanizing and encouraging universities and students to come forward with creative and innovative smart phone solutions and ensure round-the-clock access to governmental services in order to meet the public's needs and beyond," he said.

He went on: "The high education sector had, alongside other sectors, contributed to the creation of an ambitious, self-confident and cohesive people upholding their heritage and on whom the strong union pins high hopes and which form its common destiny armed with creativity and innovation", he said, adding that the country's successes and achievements are boundless.

The ceremony included a workshop and a review of the various scopes and objectives of the prize run by Director of the Strategic Planning Department Lubna Al Shamsi as well as an evaluation of the ministry's distinctive institutional performance. It was followed by an interactive debate by participating students and educators, namely the directors of the Abu Dhabi Education Board, UAE University, Khalifa University and the Higher Technical College.

Catagories of the 2014-2013 Smart Applications Award are: Smart Phone Applications, Outstanding Website Services ((HTML 5), Technical Solutions via Short Message Service (SMS), and Applications Creativity. The evaluation criteria of efficiency and effectiveness are ease of use, creativity and innovation.

Interested parties can visit the Ministry’s website to access the submission process and schedule.