KU Affairs

100 High School Students Undergoing ‘Estedad’ National Ambassadors Program Training at Khalifa University in July

July 15, 2021

National Ambassadors Program Participants Receive Insights into Scientific Research, Enrichment, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship Tracks

 

Khalifa University has announced that a total of 100 students selected under the National Ambassadors Program ‘Estedad’, a capacity-building initiative in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Education, are undergoing training at Khalifa University in various tracks.

 

The high school students – 74 UAE national and 26 international students – will undergo a two-week training during summer to gain essential skills, enabling them to prosper in various fields in which research, design thinking, entrepreneurial, leadership, and interpersonal skills are highly required. This is the second successive year the Estedad participants are provided this kind of training at Khalifa University in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

 

Each of the tracks will last for two weeks and is led by a Khalifa University faculty expert. The Enrichment and the Innovation & Entrepreneurship tracks have 33 students each, while the Scientific Research track has 34. Students were selected on the basis of their academic and behavioral performance, which were evaluated based on the school’s transcript and personal interview.

 

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, said: “We are delighted to partner with the Ministry of Education’s National Ambassadors Program ‘Estedad’ and contribute to nurturing and building critical skills among students for the country. Such skills will be required as they enter the STEM-related professional fields, when they will meaningfully contribute to the UAE’s economic development. We believe these students will become true ambassadors of not only Khalifa University but also for the UAE in general.”

 

Individual orientation sessions were organized for each track that provided an overview of the university, higher education in general and an introduction to the specific track.

 

The research track aims to provide UAE students with the scientific research methodology concepts, skills, and practical experience through undertaking a research project, and equip them with the skills needed to apply for the university after school years. Students will understand the importance of research and its impact on every field, as well as gain the ability to identify problems, collect or analyze relevant information and propose appropriate solutions.

 

The enrichment track seeks to promote the students’ knowledge and skills in design thinking, train them on different scientific topics such as Artificial Intelligence, Programming, Robotics and other trending areas, thus enhancing the participant’s academic experience, while additionally giving them a sense of personal growth through introducing them to creativity and innovation.

 

The Entrepreneurship track helps nurture students in the business field and embed them with the qualities and skills of an entrepreneur, empowering them to think out-of-the-box, come up with innovative solutions and play a key role in their country’s economy. In the process, they will gain important entrepreneurial skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communications, risk-taking and collaboration.

 

The Estedad National Ambassadors Program is a prerequisite for the International Ambassadors Programs that the Ministry of Education has been implementing annually since 2016. The program involves different tracks including Innovation, Future, Diplomacy, Sports, and Masterpieces. Those students who excel in the National Ambassadors Program will have priority access to the International Ambassadors Program.

 

Clarence Michael
English Editor Specialist
15 July 2021