Investing in people is the cornerstone of the UAE’s vision for the future

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Education, Human Development and Society Council, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research launched the “Emirates Higher Education Award,” a national initiative aimed at honoring institutions, individuals and partners who contribute to promoting excellence and innovation in the higher education and scientific research sector in the country.

The first session of the Emirates Higher Education Award begins by opening the door for participation from educational institutions, during the period from July to next September, followed by the stages of evaluation and arbitration, leading to the approval of the results and the announcement of the winners and honoring them in the fourth quarter of this year.

On this occasion, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan stressed that investing in people is the cornerstone of the UAE’s vision for the future, and that higher education is one of the main engines for enhancing the country’s competitiveness and consolidating its position in the future economy.

His Highness said: “The higher education stage represents a fundamental pillar in preparing national competencies, enhancing the readiness of individuals to engage in the labor market and actively contributing to society, and contributes to supporting the country’s comprehensive development process and enhancing its competitiveness at the regional and global levels. From this standpoint, the Emirates Higher Education Award comes to honor models and institutions that contribute to developing the higher education system and scientific research, establishing a culture of excellence and innovation, developing innovative solutions, encouraging initiatives that achieve a sustainable impact, and contributing to supporting… National priorities, and enhancing the country’s readiness for the future.”

His Highness added: “The future of countries is measured by their ability to develop their human capital and invest the outputs of their universities in achieving a sustainable economic and knowledge impact. Through this award, we are keen to highlight experiences that succeed in transforming knowledge into value, scientific research into practical applications, and strengthening partnerships that link higher education with vital sectors, which contributes to preparing generations capable of leading global transformations and creating opportunities.”

In turn, the Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation and the Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Abdul Rahman Al Awar, extended his sincere thanks and appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Education, Human Development and Community Council, for his sponsorship of the Emirates Higher Education Award, stressing that this sponsorship reflects the position that higher education enjoys within the vision of the wise leadership, as it is an essential pillar in building humanity, enhancing the country’s competitiveness and shaping its future.

He said that the launch of the award comes at a stage in which the higher education system in the country is witnessing qualitative transformations aimed at enhancing the quality of outputs, consolidating the culture of performance and innovation, and maximizing the national impact of higher education and scientific research, pointing out that its goal is not limited to keeping pace with the best global practices, but rather building a pioneering national model for higher education, starting from the state’s priorities, and investing in knowledge, research and innovation, as they are the main engines of sustainable development.

He added that the award embodies the Ministry’s vision for an advanced higher education system whose title is leadership. It anticipates the future with readiness, invests in people by empowering pioneers, and measures its success by the sustainable national impact it achieves, adding that this national initiative aspires to establish a culture of sustainable excellence within all elements of the system.

Dr. Abdul Rahman Al Awar pointed out that the award represents an open invitation to all higher education institutions, researchers, academics, students and partners to actively participate in shaping the future of the sector, expressing his aspiration for the award to become a national platform that attracts the best models and inspiring experiences, and encourages the exchange of experiences and the adoption of innovative ideas, in a way that enhances the culture of continuous development, and consolidates the UAE’s position as a global destination for higher education, scientific research and impact-related innovation.

The award aims to honor institutional and individual models that have contributed to developing the higher education system in the country, establishing a culture of excellence and innovation in higher education institutions, and stimulating transformational projects that enhance the sector’s readiness for the future. It also contributes to linking the outcomes of education and scientific research with the state’s needs and national priorities, in a way that supports building a sustainable knowledge economy.

The Emirates Award for Higher Education adopts an integrated evaluation system, based on objective and measurable criteria, that takes into account the specificity of each category and the nature of the participating entities, and focuses on highlighting practices, initiatives and achievements that have an impact in the fields of education, scientific research and innovation.

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Linking higher education outcomes to the needs of the economy

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research plays a pivotal role in linking the outputs of the higher education system to the needs of the national economy, through developing policies, programs and partnerships that contribute to preparing and empowering national competencies, supporting scientific research and innovation, and transforming knowledge into practical applications with a sustainable economic and societal impact.

Through this role, the Ministry contributes to consolidating the UAE’s position as a global center of excellence in higher education and scientific research, and a major driver for investment in human competencies and the development of their skills.

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Emirates Higher Education Award

• The “Leading Universities and Higher and Vocational Education Institutions” category, “Al-Riyadah,” aims to honor universities, higher education institutions, and technical and vocational education and training institutions that achieve advanced levels of performance and sustainable impact.

• The “Readiness” Transformative Higher Education Projects category, which aims to honor transformational projects led by institutions, which contribute to making qualitative shifts and sustainable development, and enhancing readiness for the future in the sector.

• The “Pioneers” category of higher education pioneers, which aims to honor the exceptional contributions of students and faculty members who make outstanding contributions in the fields of education and research, and to promote a culture of innovation, global competitiveness and entrepreneurship.

• The “National Impact” category of influential higher education partners, which aims to honor leaders, strategic partners, and international universities that have contributed significantly to the development of higher education, through effective leadership and influential partnerships with higher education institutions in the country.

• Within these categories falls a group of subcategories that cover the areas of institutional excellence, innovation, future readiness, scientific research, and strategic partnerships.