Dubai student selected for inaugural Global Youth Council Fellowship

Dubai: Emirati student Moza Ahmed, chairperson of Dubai’s first Students Council, has been selected for the inaugural Global Youth Council Fellowship, where she will represent the UAE among an elite group of youth from around the world, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) revealed on Sunday.

Moza has been an active student and leader in her school community throughout her high school years, but her leadership journey developed significantly when she was elected as the first chairperson of the Dubai Students Council, launched by KHDA under the City of Students initiative within Dubai’s Education 33 (E33) strategy.

The council was established under the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai.

Currently in the 12^th grade at the American School of Creative Science in Nad Al Sheba, Moza has joined the founding cohort of the Global Youth Council, an international youth leadership initiative that brings together young people from different countries and cultures for a year-long leadership experience.

For Moza, the selection represents the culmination of a year spent championing student voice and participation through Dubai’s first Students Council.

The council brought together 16 students from 16 private schools across Dubai, representing six curricula and nine nationalities and cultural backgrounds. Members were selected from nominations submitted by 90 private schools and collectively represented nearly 400,000 students enrolled in Dubai’s private education sector.

A platform for student voice

The Dubai Students Council was established to create a direct channel between students and KHDA, enabling young people to share their perspectives and contribute to programmes, policies, and initiatives that shape their educational experiences.

During their first academic year, council members held 16 internal meetings focused on planning and implementation, launched multiple interactive platforms to gather student feedback and turn ideas into initiatives, and developed a dedicated monthly newsletter to strengthen communication with the wider student community.

Representing 400,000 students

Reflecting on the experience, Moza said: “Representing nearly 400,000 students showed me the incredible diversity of voices, perspectives, and aspirations that make up Dubai’s student community. It taught me that meaningful participation is not only about listening to young people, but also about trusting them and giving them genuine responsibility.”

She added that serving as chairperson of the council allowed her to experience viewpoints beyond those of her own school community, strengthening her ability to engage in dialogue, listen to different perspectives, and advocate for issues affecting students across Dubai’s diverse education landscape.

“Being elected chairperson of Dubai’s first Students Council was about much more than developing leadership skills. It allowed me to experience first-hand what ‘Dubai-It’ means in practice and how ambitious ideas can be transformed into action. Together with my fellow council members, we were encouraged to think beyond what seemed possible,” she said.

Tomorrow’s leaders, today’s contributors

“The Dubai Students Council gave me a voice, but more importantly, it taught me what that voice can represent. Today, that journey continues beyond Dubai through my participation in the inaugural Global Youth Council Fellowship, where I will carry the spirit of ‘Dubai-It’ to an international platform.”

As a member of the fellowship’s founding cohort, Moza will help shape the Global Youth Council during its formative stage and lay the foundations for its future work.

“This is an opportunity to share the values that have shaped my experience of youth participation in Dubai, including innovation, leadership, and turning ideas into action. It is also a chance to learn from young people around the world while sharing Dubai’s experience with them,” she said.

“What makes Dubai unique is its ability to make young people feel that the impossible is simply another challenge waiting to be overcome. From creating platforms for student voice to connecting Emirati youth with global opportunities, Dubai continues to demonstrate that young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but active contributors shaping our present.”

Outstanding ambassador

Commenting on Moza’s achievement, Sarah Hollis, Principal of the American School of Creative Science in Nad Al Sheba, said: “We are proud to see her take the confidence, responsibility, and experience she has gained through this journey to an international platform. She will be an outstanding ambassador for Emirati students and for Dubai’s commitment to empowering young people and involving them in shaping the present as well as the future.”

Moza was selected for the Global Youth Council Fellowship following a highly competitive admissions process. Organisers described her as a young person with strong intellectual curiosity, conviction, and the potential to make a meaningful contribution to the world around her.

Established by T4 Education, the Global Youth Council Fellowship is an international programme for young people aged 16 to 18. The year-long fellowship brings together participants from different countries and cultural backgrounds and focuses on developing leadership, vision, community engagement, communication, and collaboration skills.

The programme combines virtual engagement, mentoring, collaborative projects with peers worldwide, and participation in an international summit, giving young people opportunities to contribute to global conversations and build lasting connections across cultures.