DUBAI: The Emirati scientist and Arab News columnist Saeed Al-Gergawi has been appointed director of the Dubai Future Academy, which aims to empower UAE leaders to shape the future.
The appointment was made following a resolution by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai.
Al-Gergawi will lead the academy, which aims to deliver educational programs that address today’s pressing challenges by preparing industry pioneers in the UAE to create a better future, according to a statement on Sheikh Hamdan’s website.
The academy is part of the Dubai Future Foundation.
Al-Gergawi is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University, and worked as director of the Mars 2117 Program as well as being a member of the strategic team of the UAE’s Hope Probe mission to the Red Planet. He also worked as a researcher at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center.
Speaking to Arab News, Al-Gergawi said: “I am very excited about my new role because it is in an area that is ever changing and one that is focusing on developing the right skills needed for the future as well as providing entities (both public and private) with the right insights needed on the trends of the future that will impact humanity as a whole.”
He added: “I am looking forward to redefining how knowledge is shared to the public as well as those with expertise, since education has not changed in the last 150 years. With the unpredictability of the future, I also look forward to seeing new ideas that will be discussed in the academy and implementing them with partners as well as individuals.”