Dr. Natasha Ridge is executive director of the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, tasked with supporting progress in Ras Al Khaimah and the wider UAE. She discusses the importance of turning research into action.
The “World University Rankings 2018” rate Saudi and Emirati universities as among the best in the region. The rankings “provide governments with good arguments for their people to attend local universities rather than travelling abroad,” said Natasha Ridge, executive director of the Al Qasimi Foundation. “They also signal that governments in the region are serious about being seen as knowledge economies and not just oil economies.”
The Dean of Office of Academic Support Services, Prof. Steven Zani of the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK), coordinated a student exchange with La Rochelle Business School of France and the University of California, Irvine of the US. The Emirati students who traveled to the US studied business English, math, and engineering through scholarships from the Al Qasimi Foundation.
Natasha Ridge, executive director of the Al Qasimi Foundation, believes there is a "real need" to lower private school fees, which are disadvantaging lower-income expatriates. A new model of affordable private schools being rolled out in Abu Dhabi should increase competition and encourage expatriate families to stay in the country and educate their children in the UAE.
H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, honored about 70 government school students at the Al Qasimi Foundation's 2018 College Preparation Program Student Awards Ceremony. The students received awards from H.H. for their efforts and academic performance
There are now more women than men in higher education worldwide. While it would appear to be a victory for gender equality, this imbalance also highlights boys’ educational underachievement. So why does this gender disparity exist, what are its implications, and what research and programming is trying to address it?
Women in Arab Gulf countries are enthusiastic about higher ed, but seek it for the sake of personal fulfillment and not in the expectation of getting professional qualifications, according to a new study by Woohyang Chloe Sim to be published later this year by the Al Qasimi Foundation.
The University of Incheon National has awarded His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, has received an honorary doctorate in economics in recognition of the economic achievements and growth achieved by His Highness in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.
Thanks to a collaboration between the Consulate of Peru in Dubai and the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation the art exhibition "The Heart of the Andes" was able to share the artistic and cultural legacy of Peru with the people of Ras Al Khaimah. The two-week exhibition featured Peruvian photographs, watercolors, and ceramics.
As world education trends move towards science, technology, engineering and math, arts and sport must not be shoved to the side, as integrating them into school curriculums has been shown to help students better connect with their work and increase their well-being and academic performance.