Ajman: Sitting in his private office at the Emiri Diwan, His Highness Shaikh Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ajman, wore a look of extreme contentment as he spoke to us about his passion for education.
As the emirate prepares to celebrate ‘Education Day’, Shaikh Humaid, who is credited with the development of Ajman into a vibrant emirate, said in an exclusive interview with Gulf News that all development derives from knowledge and education — “which also have to be associated with ethics and values” of the Emirati society.
Education can motivate the younger generation to be “pioneers in every domain… education is one of the blessings in life,” he said, adding that there are “some adverse trends in the world that draw the attention of the new generation, which they should confront with knowledge.”
Shaikh Humaid put us at ease with his spontaneous replies. We asked him: How are you, and he simply answered: “I’m fine since you are fine”.
GN: The Education Day and the Culture and Science Award in the name of Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi were first marked nearly 30 years ago. Have you achieved the goals you set sight on with these initiatives? Can you tell us about that?
Shaikh Humaid: I thank Almighty Allah for everything. Our late father — may Allah bless his soul — was loving and very supportive of education and was very close to educationists and people of knowledge, who were always in his hospitality. Our father used to urge us to learn and he motivated us to be more educated. He used to keep an eye on his children in this regard and he used to choose our teachers carefully and he also used to tell us to take care of our teachers all the time.
Our father was very strict in this regard and always asked me and my brothers and also his grandchildren to respect teachers and to make the most of their tutelage. I thank Allah again that I’m able to follow in the steps of my father in this. We are indebted to great people of knowledge who worked with us to honour the memory of our father by instituting the Rashid Bin Humaid Award for Science and Culture to honour scientists, poets, researchers, writers and philanthropists every year.
What have we achieved? We are satisfied with what we did, but our ambition is much bigger, and we know for certain that the youth aspire to reach higher, and we support them and provide them with all kind of help to reach higher in all fields, especially in the fields of science, education and culture, management and urban development, and other areas that will serve the community in the UAE, under the leadership of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and our brothers, Rulers of the Emirates.
GN: Why did you choose to institute awards for science and culture?
Shaikh Humaid: All fields go hand in hand with science, drawing on its benefits and methodology to succeed and innovate... If our nation has fallen behind at times in its effort to be a leader in scientific endeavour, we have to find ways to compensate for this in the interest of national advancement and progress, and learn from our ancestors.
Human civilisation is not limited to particular nation. It is true that our ancestors were pioneers in many of the sciences, but this heritage belongs to all human beings. The Arabic and Islamic values inculcate ethics in us. There is no benefit from education if you lack in values and ethics. Islamic humanitarian values must serve humanity, this is our heritage, and this is what we are trying to emphasise every year through Education Day in Ajman.
GN: Ajman is busy with preparations for Education Day. What does this commemoration mean to you?
Shaikh Humaid: Despite the attention given to this day, and despite the importance of the celebration of this day when we welcome guests from the UAE and neighbouring countries in Ajman, Education Day is only a step in a long road in a scheme organised by my wife Her Highness Shaikha Fatima Bint Zayed Al Nahyan, who always took interest in educational events with the assistance of a number of volunteers and staff to make that day a great success. I am happy with the achievements of this team which works throughout the year for the success of Education Day.
As for the media, they play a big role in supporting such activities and ensuring their success.
GN: Do you see tangible results as a result of these initiatives?
Shaikh Humaid: Our support to education did not begin with Education Day celebrations 30 years ago but it has been an effort since the 1950s and, possibly, earlier; we sought to encourage citizens to continue their education and sent some Emiratis to study aboard.
A long time ago, we may have faced many more challenges, but we succeeded in our efforts — some of our people graduated from schools, institutes, and colleges from Arab and foreign countries and some of them now hold senior positions in the country.
GN: We are told that you played a big role in establishing the first school in Ajman.
Shaikh Humaid: When he started focusing on the importance of a formal education, we were successful in starting off a great era in terms of education in the Arab countries, led by Kuwait. We set out to establish Rashidiya School in Ajman, with Ebrahim Barghouti being the headmaster. I remember that we used to go to the beach in the 50s to call children playing over there asking them to join school, and we opened the first school in 1958 with 80 students. These students played a big role in building a modern Ajman and this was very heartening and a source of immense delight.
GN: You are talking about education for men, what about women — when did the first girls school open in Ajman.
Shaikh Humaid: I remember that my father went to Sharjah in the late 50s to attend activities relating to schools over there and he saw the girls dancing and singing in the school and he said that he would not allow that to happen in Ajman but we kept pursuing him for many years on the issue and I told him that our sisters go to Sharjah to study and, in the early 60s, he agreed to open the first school in Ajman.
GN: How do you see education now?
Shaikh Humaid: We have first of all to preserve the Arabic language and to teach children to respect their teachers. I remember, in the past, teachers were very respectful but unfortunately I now hear stories about students who could beat the teacher, which is unacceptable and unforgivable. I hope that parents and schools and the educational system will look at this matter seriously to sort it out.
GN: How has Ajman chosen to invest in education?
Shaikh Humaid: We have Ajman University for Science and Technology, which is the second university in the UAE and we have plans to develop this university further. We have the Gulf Medical College and Alwatan and Al Madina but I’m so proud of the University College for Mother and Family Science.
I need to mention that parents have a great responsibility towards their children not only in terms of taking care of their needs but also in educating them and, by doing that, they will give their children the best in life.
