JANUARY 2016 ISSUE 15
A M o n t h ly M a g a z i n e o n K n o w l e d g e a n d D e v e lo p m e n t b y t h e M o h amm e d B i n R a s h i d A l M ak to u m F o u n d at i o n
AED20
ARAb CONTRIBUTION
34 flashes / JANUARY 2016
May s a J a l b out
On a philanthropic mission to support Emirati, Arab youth in achieving their potential Innovation must be integrated throughout the education system and reform efforts must be given sufficient time, says Maysa Jalbout, CEO of Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education
Established in July 2015, the Dubai-based Abdulla Al Ghurair Education Foundation is one of the largest privately funded philanthropic education initiatives in the Arab world, devoted to equipping Arab youth with the knowledge and skills they need to become future leaders of the Region. In October, the Foundation announced the appointment of a recognised leader in education, Maysa Jalbout, to the position of Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Jalbout is a recognised leader in education and brings to the Foundation over 20 years’ experience in building highly effective organisations, initiatives and partnerships targeting young people throughout Canada, the Middle East and in developing nations. In this leadership role at the Abdulla Al Ghurair Education Foundation, she will spearhead innovation and development of the Foundation and its programmes. At the Knowledge Summit 2015, Maysa Jalbout was the moderator of the first session titled ‘Innovation in Education – Future Outlook’ on the opening day, which featured the Education ministers of the UAE, Lebanon, and Morocco. Maysa Jalbout, spoke at length about the Foundation and its goals to Flashes:
What is the mission of Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education? The mission of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education is to provide access to opportunity for high-performing, under-served Emirati and Arab youth. www.mbrf.ae
JANUARY 2016 / flashes 35
ARAb CONTRIBUTION
Maysa Jalbout at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa 2015 in Jordan
When it comes to the UAE, what are your thoughts on these three key issues: improving the quality of education, skills development, and about integrating technology into education? The UAE invests significant financial resources for its education reform efforts. This is a testament to its commitment to improving the quality of its education system. In its short history, the country has made huge gains, with access to secondary education almost doubling between 1999 and 2012 and literacy rates increasing by more than 60 per cent for women since the mid 1970s. To better prepare its citizens for the world of work, the country has also welcomed the establishment of a vast array of higher education institutions, with strengths in both science-based education and the liberal arts. Specific examples of these include Khalifa University and NYU. Aware of the importance of remaining globally competitive, the country’s leadership is also investing in significant reforms to continue improving the learning outcomes of its students and preparing them for a more knowledgebased world. The challenge for the future will be to ensure that all children and youth across the country can access a high quality education. But, the government cannot take on this task alone. All educational stakeholders should work to 36 flashes / JANUARY 2016
support the government in achieving these goals and scaling up successful efforts.
From your wide international and regional experience, how can educationists and policy makers create and launch high-impact innovative programmes that will improve the quality of education in the Arab World? What are the factors that have to be kept in mind? Countries across the region are currently struggling to determine how education systems can better prepare young people to be more innovative in a world driven by technology. While countries and organisations have been experimenting with the introduction of new programmes and models of learning, there is no doubt that technology can serve as an enabler and accelerator in the educational process. However, to have an impact, innovation must be integrated throughout the education system and reform efforts must be given sufficient time for monitoring, refining, and evaluation. The UAE is a perfect testing ground for such innovations, given the country’s significant investment in education, its mission to serve as a hub for innovation in the region, and its drive to develop the skills of its people to work in jobs
May s a J a l b out
of the future. To succeed in this process, the UAE and the region, needs to develop and integrate the tools that would support more innovative ways of teaching and learning in schools. We know much more today about what our students need to learn and how best to help them do so. Part of what we’ve learned is that we can exploit technology to make high quality content available to our teachers and students and encourage our teaching to be more student-centred and learning to be more collaborative.
What are the academic subjects that need to be introduced in schools and educational institutions here that address the needs of the local and global economy and the priorities of nation building?
Left: Governments and education institutions have been working to encourage students to pursue these fields.
projects that teach students how to develop creative solutions to real life problems.
Who are the key local, regional and international partners that your Foundation will be forging ties with?
The Mena region is in need of more graduates in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). In recent years, governments and education institutions have been working to encourage students to pursue these fields. These efforts should not end there, but be integrated with the arts (STEAM) to help students develop soft skills such as working collaboratively, creatively, and incorporating new forms of media in their learning. One way this can be done is through the introduction of multidisciplinary
The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education is open to establishing partnerships with all relevant actors in the field of education, from the government to other foundations and the private sector, with the goal of working collaboratively to support Emirati and Arab youth in achieving their potential. We strongly believe that the philanthropic sector has an important role to play in the field of education in the UAE and more broadly in the Mena region and hope to see it serving as a key partner in addressing the most pressing problems in our community.
www.mbrf.ae
The Mena region is in need of more graduates in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math
JANUARY 2016 / flashes 37