Dh100 million fund established in UAE to support digital education projects globally

Dubai: The Digital School, one of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, and the Emirates Red Crescent signed a strategic partnership aiming to establish the Digital School Fund with Dh100 million, as part of the “Digital School dialogues” during the World Government Summit 2023.

The signing event was attended by Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Digital School and Managing Director of the World Government Summit Organization, and Dr. Hamdan Musallam Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Red Crescent.

The strategic partnership was signed by Hamoud Abdullah Al Junaibi, Emirates Red Crescent Deputy Secretary General and Dr. Waleed Al Ali, Digital School Secretary General.

Distance learning

The partnership with the Emirates Red Crescent aims to establish a fund to support the Digital School’s programs financially and achieve its goals of providing smart and flexible distance education in countries affected by disasters, crises when it comes to formal education. The fund provides educational opportunities for one million students around the world. It seeks to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and develop knowledge and skills through applications of AI and modern digital technologies in remote-education.

The agreement also focuses on cooperating to launch the largest initiative to support digital education, allocating funding sources for the Digital School’s projects, enhancing the initiative’s logistical operations, and providing advanced digital education using smart solutions to more than one million students. It also focuses on forming a work group to coordinate, follow up, and implement the Fund’s activities and prepare and set up regulations, plans, and mechanisms.

Human values

Omar Sultan Al Olama said: “ The partnership with the Emirates Red Crescent in establishing the Digital School projects fund reflects the human values we seek to consolidate through the initiatives that provide educational opportunities. Furthermore, the fund will contribute to accelerating the achievement of the Digital School’s projects.”

He commended the Emirates Red Crescent’s global efforts, its comprehensive initiatives and projects aimed at supporting all societies around the world, and what it represents as an ambassador of Emirati values, stressing the Digital School’s keenness to collaborate with the Emirates Red Crescent and with all local and international institutions and contribute to the development of global communities and provide learning opportunities for students around the world.

Unifying advance education

Dr Hamdan Musallam Al Mazrouei welcomed the strategic partnership with the Digital School to facilitate smarter and more flexible remote-education opportunities in countries facing challenges in the education process. He stated that the Emirates Red Crescent’s interest in these smart partnerships, which embody its vision of unity and joined efforts in order to advance education in countries and regions that face humanitarian crises and development challenges in this regard; all of which, in turn, affirms the Emirates Red Crescent’s constant endeavour to devise solutions that make education accessible to anyone, anywhere, and under any circumstances, despite crises and emergencies, believing in the importance of education in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

He added: “There is no doubt that this fund will contribute immensely to achieving the goals of the Digital School, which is considered a major milestone in the e-learning process; the creation of a modern technical education system that meets the needs of students in refugee camps and the most vulnerable segments of society; relies on IT and AI; and contributes to the continuation of their education process despite challenges,” noting that the initiative will also bring about a significant leap in the level and quality of educational services directed to these segments.

The Digital School

The Digital School, which was launched in November 2020 under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, is considered to be the first complete digital school of its kind. It aims to empower students with digital learning options in regions that need the appropriate conditions or requirements for students to pursue their education. It also provides a qualitative, innovative, and flexible opportunity for blended learning and distance learning, targeting less fortunate societal groups, refugees, and the displaced through modern educational content and curricula.