H.H. Saud Bin Saqr inaugurates RAK Academy for the Gifted

H.H. Saud Bin Saqr inaugurates RAK Academy for the Gifted

 

Pioneering institution to cultivate natural talents of outstanding students

                                                                                     

H.H. Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr al Qasimi, a member of the Federal Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, recently inaugurated the Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Academy for the Gifted, the first specialized center established to support the emirate’s educational sector in cultivating the superior skills of talented students.

 

The launch was attended by H.H. Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi and H.E. Marwan Al Sawlah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education. Also in attendance were H.E. Mohamed Abdullatif Khalifa, General Secretary of the Executive Council and head of the committee organizing the UAE Innovation Week in Ras Al Khaimah, and H.E. Sumaya Harb El Sewedy, Director of the Ras Al Khaimah Educational Zone, along with a number of presidents and directors of local and governmental departments in the emirate.

 

H.E. El Sewedy said that the Academy is considered an important investment in nationwide efforts to enhance the skills of local human resources, adding that its opening marks the realization of the dream of educational workers that have worked tirelessly to improve the academic sector. She added that this landmark achievement would not be possible without the gracious contributions of H.E. Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi who donated the building and embraced the idea for the institution following a resolution issued by the Ministry of Education. She noted that the academy is a reflection of the government’s directives to develop the UAE as one of the world’s best countries by 2020, which it hopes to secure by caring for gifted students and following the framework of the National Strategy for Innovation. She commented that innovation has become an essential component of modern operating systems.

 

H.E. El Swedy, further pointed out that the academy aims to sponsor gifted male and female students and support the training and development of educators for such students to equip them with the relevant skills that will be necessary in working with gifted individuals. The Academy will also help schools from other areas in their efforts to sponsor gifted children by building strong partnerships with various relevant institutions, developing a good curriculum and enrichment units, and organizing unified testing systems. RAK will play an active role in developing programs and research studies on the education of gifted students to gain stronger insight on programs that can be implemented in the field.

 

Aisha Jasem el Shamsy, Director of RAK Academy for the Gifted, said that work in the Academy began over a year ago in an effort to establish strong base for the launch. As a result, the Academy is 80 per cent complete and maintains a database of nearly 350 students classified as gifted. She noted the regular attendance of 60 students in the program series and the training of 170 teachers, 60 per cent of whom have completed advanced stages of the program. The Academy is currently preparing four enrichment units in science, mathematics and innovation and is establishing four clubs for innovation and STEM laboratories in a number of schools across the emirate. The Academy will also be supplying the academy with scientific encyclopedias, a thinking approaches portfolio, and human development, and will actively establish strong partnerships with relevant institutions.

 

El Shamsy pointed out that the Academy features a number of important clubs that cater to particular student interests, including clubs for Robotics, Programming, STEM Innovation, Arabic Language, and Drawing. RAK Academy is in the process of implementing strategic plans for the future in line with efforts to strengthen the National Innovation Strategy through partnerships with entities involved in crucial sectors such as renewable energy and space such as the Masdar Institute and the UAE Space Agency. The Academy also intends to establish training centers for its various extracurricular activities such as the Chess Club and launch a new training program that will enhance students’ skills and gain competitive advantage in local and international competitions for park design, fibre connections, electronics, and mechatronics.

 

RAK Academy is a specialized center for gifted and talented students. The Academy is dedicated to enriching the educational sector in Ras Al Khaimah by sponsoring gifted and capable students from both public and private schools, nurturing their natural talents and placing them in appropriate programs under highly qualified teachers. The Academy also provides continuous training opportunities and the exchange of expertise through communicating with research centers in this field.