Dubai: The Minister of State for Food Security has become the first government official at a minister level to feature as a guest lecturer at NYU Abu Dhabi’s (NYUAD) ‘Water-Energy-Food Nexus’ course.
Maryam Bint Mohammad Saeed Hareb Al Muhairi featured as guest lecturer for the three-week course, which explored the interconnectedness of water, energy, and food supplies. As guest instructor, the minister delivered four lectures in January.
Al Muhairi said: “The UAE’s climate makes it exceptionally critical for us to develop holistic and ambitious plans to ensure our food security in the foreseeable future and beyond. We are blessed to have forward-thinking leaders who have directed all UAE government entities — as well as private companies, academic institutions, and NGOs, among other stakeholders — to compute any action we take with that future in mind.”
She added: “I am delighted to have had the chance to interact with students here at NYU Abu Dhabi as a guest instructor. Students — and the youth, in general — are a fundamental component of all our plans for food security. To ensure better food management and security in the future, we must train the food security experts of tomorrow starting now.”
NYU Abu Dhabi associate vice-chancellor for Global Education & Outreach, Carol Brandt, said: “Our NYUAD faculty for the intensive January Term class on the ‘Water, Energy, Food Nexus,’ were honoured and delighted to have the opportunity to work with Maryam Al Muhairi on designing the course with a special focus on the UAE as a case study on food security. Our students were privileged to have Her Excellency teach a session of their course, provide them with beautifully curated visits to projects and programs in the UAE that are leading efforts in sustainable agriculture and biotechnology, and offer them constructive feedback on sustainability projects they presented to her. It was a great example of a University-Ministry partnership.”
