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27-5-2007
 Rulers have showered so many gifts
on us that it is impossible to keep track of their benevolence and generosity. In
yet another touching display of tender loving care for UAE subjects, His
Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime
Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has laid the foundation of a knowledge-based
society by creating a $10 billion fund to support education.
In the past, several initiatives
have been launched and progressive strategies adopted to help develop the
education sector and beef up the knowledge infrastructure. But the endowment
will certainly help the region take the quantum leap in bridging the "knowledge
gap" between the West and the Arab world.
According to UN statistics, roughly,
for every 100,000 books released in the United
States, there are 42,000 books published in South America and a meagre 6,500 in the Gulf. UN figures
also predict that in the next couple of decades, the creation of around 80 million
jobs will be needed to cope with the growing populations in the Arab world. Speaking
during the World Economic Forum in Jordan, Shaikh Mohammed also
expressed concern about the illiteracy rates in the region. Supporting a wide
array of leadership or education development programmes and funds for research
initiatives, the endowment, undoubtedly one of the largest charitable donations
in the world, will go a long way in addressing these issues. We hope that in
addition to giving scholarships and other incentives, the fund will help
formulate an effective strategy to develop the curricula at educational
institutes. Efforts are already being made to upgrade the syllabi followed in
schools and colleges so that they meet international standards. The authorities
are also keen on improving teaching methods. There does exist a host of
programmes to enhance the skills of educators. In any educational venture, teachers
are as much an instrument of change as their students. The fund, it is hoped, will
help put a greater emphasis on this area.
The endowment is also set to
provide a much-needed fillip to research projects. Academicians and researchers
will receive all support to enhance their standing in the international area
and contribute to converting the region into a research hub. By any yardstick, Shaikh
Mohammed's generous donation is definitely a watershed in the history of the
region's development. |
