with the readers of "Capital
Letter" and to convey to them my
appreciation for their strong interest
in promoting collaboration between
the United Kingdom and the United
Arab Emirates at all levels. Like many
readers of "Capital Letter", I am
proud of the very close and friendly
relationship that exists between the
UK and the United Arab Emirates.
From the focus on education in
this issue, it is clear that the United
Arab Emirates faces some important
choices and opportunities in this
important field. Our country has
made impressive gains in the field
of education. We have built an
education system, starting from almost
nothing, to one that enrolls virtually
all of our children in primary school,
provides educational opportunity for all
through secondary school, and has a
diversified system of higher education.
We have much to be proud of from
these accomplishments.
In the field of higher education,
our colleges and universities are
dedicated to providing superior
education to every student. All
public academic institutions and their
programmes are also designed and
committed to enriching the intellectual,
social, and economic life of the
country.
The recent strategic plan for
national development, adopted by the
Federal Government earlier this year,
reaffirmed the critical role of higher
education in creating a knowledge
society in the United Arab Emirates
and in responding to the economic and
social needs of the country. The plan
requires our institutions and systems
to expand in the future as enrollments
continue to increase. More
importantly, we will continue to extend
the scope of our curricula in response
to developments in world-wide
knowledge and understanding, and we
will seek the most effective methods
of instruction in all of our programmes.
Our aspiration is programmes of top
quality as measured against world
standards. We will continue to seek
international accreditation of these
academic programmes by the world's
leading accreditation organisations.
Readers of "Capital Letter" know
well the economic diversification
taking place now in Abu Dhabi and
the United Arab Emirates. A strong
and vibrant educational system is an
absolute requirement for economic
diversification.
Our colleges and universities
are also committed to being active
members of the international
academic community. We have
an international faculty, who are
recruited through world-wide searches.
This international faculty supports
students' learning, introduces them
to multiple perspectives, and helps
them understand and interact with
people from different cultures and
backgrounds. This is very important for
us as we seek to prepare students to
live and work in a global environment.
Our colleges and universities are
determined to be a dynamic intersection
of local culture and tradition with
international-style higher education
structures, curriculum, and student
environment. We want to nurture a spirit
of educational innovation. We want to
prepare students to be bilingual in Arabic
and English, grounded in their culture,
proficient with technology, well-prepared
for their chosen profession and advanced
academic study, and prepared for
leadership roles. We emphasise learning
to think critically and solve problems,
being creative, taking responsibility and
initiative, and working well with others as
leaders and supporters.
We believe, in addition, that
colleges and universities have an
important role in bringing people
of the world closer together. We
are committed to stimulating open
international dialogue, and promoting
global understanding, collaboration,
and peace. In fact we have a strong
belief that education has a critical role
in promoting world peace.
Our public higher education sector
consists of two universities and 12
higher colleges of technology. These
institutions enroll about 36,000 students,
most of them being UAE Nationals. We
also have a growing sector of private
institutions, totalling close to 50 colleges
and universities, enrolling about 40,000
students – the majority of them are non-
Nationals. The overall system is broad,
comprehensive, and flexible enough to continue to enforce rigorous criteria that will
ensure top quality in all these institutions.
Another important dimension of the
national strategic plan is its emphasis
on research and its importance to
national progress. The plan calls for the
establishment of a National Research
Foundation as part of the Ministry of
Higher Education and Scientific Research.
The Foundation will underscore the
importance of research as a source
of industrial innovation, economic
opportunity, and social progress.
The Foundation will support
research across disciplines and across
national and cultural boundaries. It
will develop programmes to integrate
research with education. The
Foundation will seek ways to develop
the UAE's research capability through
cooperative efforts with major research
universities and institutes of the world.
It will also develop programmes for
effective communications with the
public, for dissemination of all useful
applications of research.
The strategic plan requires that
research be closely related to the
interests and needs of the country's
public and private sectors. Research
will be built on
strong alliances
with business and
industry, federal and
local governments,
and peer institutions
around the world.
To achieve all
these goals and
objectives for higher
education and research, international
connections are very important.
To that end, we greatly value our
cooperation with British colleges
and universities. Over the years, we
have maintained a very successful
association with colleges and
universities in the UK. Both countries
benefit greatly from this association,
which covers many areas. Let me
briefly list some of these areas:
• Our students and researchers
recognise that the UK has some
of the world's best universities.
Many of them go to the UK to
study and do research. British
professors have also come here
to teach and to collaborate on
joint projects. These exchanges
have also served to increase understanding of each other's
priorities and concerns.
• Many of the faculty and staff
at our colleges and universities
come from the UK. They are
making great contributions towards
creating a vibrant academic
environment at our institutions.
• The learning of English has
become a major activity in
the United Arab Emirates. UK
institutions provide excellent
programmes in teaching English
both here and in the UK.
• Many UK universities are
offering academic programmes in
the UAE, either directly or through
partnerships with local institutions.
These programmes are particularly
focused in the area of graduate
and continuing education.
Innovative technologies for course
delivery are usually used.
• Cooperation in science and
technology is growing. Areas
of collaboration are continually
considered and pursued. We are
particularly keen to link with UK
centres of excellence as our research
enterprise continues to take shape.
• UK firms are actively involved in
the construction and equipping of
our academic facilities.
Our commitment to this cooperation
is deep and strong. The educational
relationships between the UK and the
UAE reflect the strong relationships of
friendship and trust that exist between
our two countries. The leaders of both of
our countries continually emphasise their
support for expanding this cooperation.
It is a cooperation that is built on shared
values and interest. I refer in particular
to the clear recognition by both countries
of the special importance of education
and the critical need for successful
human resources development.
We look forward to strengthening this
collaboration in the future even further.
We have a lot to offer each other. We
will continue to identify other areas of
opportunity for further collaboration. And
I am confident that these relations will
continue to grow and prosper in the future
not only at the government level, but also
at the level of individuals and institutions.
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