Teacher professional development is essential for transforming teaching and learning and directly affects all aspects of schooling. But what makes a professional development program a success? And more importantly, how do you ensure the continued success of teachers who participate in your professional development programs?
This September will mark the fifth year of the Al Qasimi Foundation’s continuing education courses for inmates at the Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Correctional Facility. The courses are part of the RAK Prison Project, which seeks to prepare inmates for life after prison.
Recent research by the Al Qasimi Foundation emphasised the importance of art, music and PE in creating well-rounded students. With growing pressure to do well on assessments, students and teachers in the UAE are prioritizing tests and passive learning. Education policymakers should work to alleviate this pressure and focus on helping students and teachers maintain a balance between learning and assessments.
The high unemployment rates in the Arab region are well documented. Despite high levels of enrollment, instruction quality is poor. With low oil prices, the public sector isn't hiring and with the high expatriate population, the competition to find private sector jobs excludes all but the best foreign-educated local. With students facing final exams, what should they do next? Continue to study or find a job?
Over the past decade, the number of foundations and nonprofits in the Gulf region has exploded, up from just a handful to dozens of organizations, ranging from development funds to specific issue-focused family philanthropies. Often modeled on Western foundations, but drawing on a culture of generous giving, these organizations will be a powerful force in the Middle East’s development for years to come.
The Basket of Giving initiative launched by the Ras Al Khaimah Police General Headquarters, as part of its Year of Giving initiative, has resulted in the release of some 31 physically disabled inmates. This has been part of a multi-organizational effort to provide supportive programing to inmates. Initiatives have included continuing education courses as well as the building of a fully-equipped library by the Al Qasimi Foundation.
This year has been declared the Year of Giving for the UAE, marking a renewed focus on the role of charity in society. A holistic approach to giving is now emerging, one that highlights both the societal and personal benefits of giving not only your money but also your time to the causes and people you care about.
The Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research has been listed as one of the best free standing regional studies centers in the world by the University of Pennsylvania in their 2016 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report. The Foundation is one of only three Middle Eastern think tanks to be included on the prestigious list.
In line with the UAE's commitment to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda, the UAE Gender Balance Council recently hosted a three-day workshop to accelerate the implementation of SDG 5 - 'achieve gender equality', as part of 'SDGs in Action @ WGS'. It explored the role of science, technology and innovation in achieving the 17 SDGs.
At almost two metres tall, the Woman From The Mangroves is life-size and imposing. Her body is made from fishing-net wire, traditionally used by the portside fishermen of Ras Al Khaimah, and her head is fashioned from part of an old mangrove tree taken after it had already died, from the natural landscape along the emirate’s thriving coast.