James Dartnell spoke with Dr Ahmad bin Abdullah Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, UAE cabinet member and minister of state for higher education and advanced skills, about the country’s need for tech specialists and university courses if it is to fulfil its potential in becoming a knowledge-based economy.
" Historically, STEM has been perceived as a male dominated field, but I can tell you from the Ministry, we are seeing more women that are interested in STEM,” Al Falasi says. He even goes one further, admitting that archaic perceptions are wide of the mark in 2018. “We talk about the gender gap globally, but in the UAE, women perform better academically, and right now, are far more employable than men because they are more focused,” he says. “We are seeing female participation increase in the workforce and in STEM studies." The World Bank estimates that the UAE’s female labour participation rate for 2017 was 41%, compared to the global average of 49%, and Al Falasi sees a huge opportunity in that regard. The need to not only encourage women to join the workforce, but to pursue subjects that will be in demand, is crucial. According to the 2017 Global Knowledge Index, the UAE’s path to a knowledge-based economy is clear. The country’s higher education system is ranked as the 27th best in the world, higher education students are the 8th most competent, while the country also ranks 24th for technical vocation education and training.
The joint research project, led developed by the United Nations Development Programme and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, draws on research from 131 countries and measures factors including education, economy, research and technology.
An integral part of the UAE’s strong results in the research is minister for higher education and advanced skills Dr Ahmad bin Abdullah Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi. He takes great pride from the UAE’s progress in its educational and technological transformations, but knows the journey towards being a knowledge driven society is only just beginning.
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