Ministry of Education Honors 24 Emirati Leaders Through National Leadership Academy Program

The Ministry of Education (MoE) on Tuesday honored 24 young Emirati leaders under its National Leadership Academy for Higher Education program, which aims to empower Emirati leaders in the education sector.

The honoring ceremony was held at the Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre. It was attended by Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, Dr. Mohammad Al Mualla, Under-Secretary for Higher Education Academic Affairs at the MoE, and top officials from the MoE, graduates from the academy's first batch, and leaders of higher education institutions.

The program, launched last October, is part of the MoE's ongoing efforts to support Emirati talents in the educational sector.

"We at the Ministry of Education are dedicated to developing Emirati talent in education, as demonstrated by the National Leadership Academy for Higher Education," Al Falasi said at the event, congratulating the graduates, according to WAM.

He noted that the ministry has "successfully empowered creative energies and built leaders equipped with the knowledge, skills and innovative thinking needed to excel in academic and administrative roles in public higher education, which aligns with the government's national priorities."

"The program also prepares graduates to contribute to a pioneering, successful and proactive future education system, supporting the UAE's development vision," he added.

At the event, a video about the National Leadership Academy for Higher Education was previewed, highlighting the program's goals, activities, and stages participants went through. It also explained five projects created by the young leaders to improve the UAE's higher education system, some of which were funded and supervised by the MoE.

The program was divided into three phases. The first phase involved direct engagement with participants through practical lectures, interactive workshops, and training activities to build leadership skills. The second phase consisted of a 360 assessment to contribute to upskilling the young leaders. The third phase focused on evaluating and launching the development projects for the higher education sector.

The first batch of the National Leadership Academy for Higher Education program was honored at the event. It included Dr. Sameera Al Mulla, Dr. Hassan Al Hashimi, Dr. Fatma Kalbat, Hoda Al-Tamimi, and Nada Buftaim from the MoE.

Professor Juma Al Kaabi and Alyaziyah Al Dhaheri from the United Arab Emirates University; Mariam Al Hammadi from the Emirates College for Advanced Education; and Eisa Al Shamsi as well as Reem Al Hashemi from the University of Sharjah were also honored in the same batch.

The batch also included Asma Al Shamsi from Ajman University; Dr. Wafa Zoghbor, Dr. Fatima Taher and Dr. Muna AlSeeni from Zayed University; Prof. Habiba Al Safar and Prof. Ali Almansoori from Khalifa University; and Dr. Fahad Alsaadi as well as Dr. Meera Al Marri from Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University.

Dr. Lamia AlHajri, Jasim Alhammadi, and Maryam Al Hafeet from the Higher Colleges of Technology; Mohammed Alrayssi from Abu Dhabi Polytechnic; and Samya Al Saedi as well as Mariam Al Balooshi from Rabdan Academy were also honored.