ABU DHABI, Emirati male and female high school students were selected for the UAE Youth Ambassadors Programme (YAP) and enrolled in a 10 week-long innovative language and cultural programme to learn Chinese and Russian, for the first time in the programme’s history.
The UAE Youth Ambassadors Programme was launched in 2012 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to develop and equip young Emirati university students to take on prominent roles in strategic sectors and strengthen engagement with selected strategic partners of the UAE.
To date, the programme has graduated 181 alumni from 10 cohorts who further went on to visit South Korea, Germany, and China to understand their economy, government and history and learn their language and culture.
This year, the programme involved high school students for the first time. The programme started with students in grade 10 and supported the participants’ understanding of the bilateral relationships between the UAE and host countries.
An intensive language proficiency programme was provided to engage and immerse the students in both language and culture of Russia and China with the end goal of achieving the requisite language proficiency to achieve university entrance within the respective host countries’ top universities.
They covered a wide range of language areas as well as participated in dedicated cultural events and activities. The Embassies of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China in the UAE also hosted virtual workshops to support the initiative.
Mohammed Sanad Humaid Haidar Ahmed, a student on the Russian programme, said, “The YAP programme was unique and special. It created a new perspective within me and also furnished the foundation of the Russian language and culture, which provided me with exquisite and profound new knowledge.”
Layan Alshaibani, a student on the Chinese programme, commented, “I am highly proud to be a part of the UAE YAP programme which made me learn different skills other than the language such as communication, time management and being able to express myself in front of others.”
In addition, to aid the participants’ success, previous UAE Youth Ambassadors Programme alumni volunteered to mentor this group of students to ensure their success through sharing their personal experiences and challenges.
Dr. Amer Alhammadi, a UAE YAP mentor and alumni, said, “I was blessed to be part of the UAE Youth Ambassadors Programme to South Korea. This year I am part of the UAE YAP Mentorship Programme. I could see how the UAE YAP continues to inspire and develop young Emirati talents to be in leadership positions in the future and serving our beloved nation. Learning a new language provides YAP participants with a deeper connection and understanding of that culture and improves their thinking and multicultural communication skills.”
The students of 2021 attended a virtual award ceremony where Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Director of Education Affairs Office, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court provided a keynote address and issued to all students a digital certificate to recognise and congratulate them on their achievement.
Al Nuaimi explained that the programme provides an excellent platform for young Emiratis to develop new skills which will aid not only their progress but support the development of the UAE as a whole. Today the UAE stands as an international focal point for many key business sectors and industries around the world. Ensuring our youth have the required language and cultural skills to work with our strategic partners is a critical component in the next phase of our development. I take great pride in congratulating our students from this year’s programme, who have shown immense effort and dedication in completing this phase of the programme.”
The names of the students from the 2021 UAE Youth Ambassadors Programme are: UAE YAP Chinese Programme; Maha Salem Mubarak Salem Al Breiki Razan Yazeed Mohamed Mubarak Alkatheeri Salem Shetait Salem Rashed AlKetbi Maryam khaled Ahmed Yahmoor Alshehhi Noof Yousef Mohamed Abdulla Almarzooqi Alanoud Nabet Mosabbah Saeed Hashil Alzahmi Ahmed Mohammed Abdulla Hamad Alnuaimi Alghala Abdulla Khamis Abdulrahman Albreiki Wasayef Saeed Mohamed Surour Alzaabi Layan Bassam Mohammed Al Shaibani Abdulaziz Khalid Mohammed Abdulla Alrayssi Meera Mohammed Abdulla Ali Alkaabi Abdulla Abubaker Abdulqader Alaidarous Alhashmi Hazaa Hasan Ahmed Mohamed Alamoodi UAE YAP Russian Programme; Alyazyah Ahmed Suhail Alketbi Eiman Ali Husain Ali Alhosani Alenood Mohamed Salem Balkher Alhadhrami Zayed Nasser Mohamedali Alfadli Noura Abdulrahim Abdulrazzaq Mohamed Khouri Thani Ahmad Saleh Thani Binthalith Khalifa Mohamed Abdalla Shahdad Alblooshi Majed Mutlaq Andulkareem Faraj Binamro Mohamed Sanad Humaid Haidar Ahmed Shaikha Khaled Saeed Khalfan Salem Muftah Al Mansoori Mohammed Alhadh Musabeeh Farhan Alkuwaiti Alwiya Talal Alwi Abdullah Al Junaibi Saeed Abdulrahman Saeed Abdulrahman Alamoodi Fatima Rashed Mohammed Rashed Alnuaimi
Source: Emirates News Agency