The General Secretariat of the Khalifa Award for Education launched its sixteenth session for the year 2023 today at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, which includes 10 areas divided into 17 categories at the local, Arab and international levels, including the field of the Khalifa International Award for Early Learning, which is presented to compete at the international level in the two categories: Best Research and Studies, and Best Programs, Curricula, Teaching Methodologies and Practices. This field targets academic institutions and specialized researchers worldwide to apply best practices in the field of early education.

The General Secretariat of the Khalifa Award for Education held a press conference today, in which Amal Al-Afifi, Secretary-General of the award, spoke, in the presence of the members of the Executive and Awarding Committees: Dr. Suad Al-Suwaidi, Dr. Khaled Al-Abri, Hamid Ibrahim, Dr. Jameela Khanji, Fatima Al-Bastaki, and several educational leaders, administrative members and teaching bodies in the educational field.

At the beginning of the press conference, Amal Al-Afifi stressed the importance of this course, which coincides with the launch of excellence for the education system in the United Arab Emirates and its unique model in education, which consolidates the national identity and opens wide horizons for scientific development and foreseeing the future, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, May God protect him, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Their Highnesses Sheikhs, members of the Supreme Council of the Union, Rulers of the Emirates.

She pointed out that the Khalifa Award for Education, under the follow-up and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Presidential Court and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the award, has completed all preparations for this session, which begins today, coinciding with the start of the new academic year, with all its educational and academic ambitions. In this session, the award presents a field on the Distinguished Educational Personality that is honored in recognition of its efforts in supporting and advancing the education process, in addition to the Distinguished Emirati Family category that has made outstanding contributions to the care of children’s’ educational excellence. The winning family is granted the award shield and a financial reward of 100,000 dirhams .

The Secretary-General of the award pointed out that the current session also witnessed a development in terms of coordination related to awarding and screening committees, in a way that enhances the award process and strengthens its relationship with the educational field.

She pointed out that the fields presented for the current session are as follows: Distinguished Educational personality, the field of the Khalifa International Award for Early Learning (the category of Research and Studies, the category of Programs, Curricula, Methodologies and Teaching Methodology and Practices), the field of General Education (the category of the Creative Teacher, the category of Institutional Education Performance), and the field of Higher Education. ( Distinguished University Professor category), the people of determination field  (individuals, the institutions and centers category), the Education and Community Service field (the institutions category,  Distinguished Emirati Family category), the Innovation in Teaching Arabic Language field (the Distinguished University Lecturer category), and the Educational Research field ( The Educational Research category, the Children’s Literature Study Research category), Educational Authorship for Children field (the Educational Innovations category), and the Innovative Educational Projects and Programs field  (the individuals category, the institutions category, and the students category).

Amal Al-Afifi, Secretary-General of the Khalifa Award for Education, said that the award will implement an introductory program for the areas presented in its sixteenth session at the UAE, Arab and international levels, according to a timetable that includes a few events and practical workshops and participation in seminars, conferences, and specialized exhibitions to introduce the mission, role and objectives of the award in spreading the culture of Excellence in the educational field.

For his part, Hamid Ibrahim indicated that the award has developed during the last period an integrated system of smart electronic applications that enhance the interaction between the award and the various elements of the educational field at all its levels. Through these smart applications, potential candidates can communicate with the award teams around the clock, which expands the base of participation in this current session.

He explained that the award receives applications from candidates for the Khalifa Educational Award for the fields offered at the state and Arab level for its current session, starting from today, September 06, 2022, until Tuesday, January 31, 2023, where applications will be received on the website: www.khaward.ae.

During the press conference, Fatima Al Bastaki talked about the field of the Khalifa International Award for Early Learning, which is being presented by the award for the first time in the world, during which she presented the objectives of this field and its role in supporting the process of advancing childhood and early education through its presentation at the global level in its two categories: Best Research, and Studies, and Best Programs, Curricula, Teaching Methodologies and Practices. She clarified: Acceptance of applications for participants in the field of the Khalifa International Award for Early Learning begins today until February 28, and applications for participants in this field are received on the following website: https://khaward.ae/.

Al Bastaki said: This field aims to enrich a culture of excellence and creativity, encourage research and studies, discover, and appreciate advanced programs, methodologies, and teaching methods, encourage distinguished teachers, activate the role of specialized educational centers, institutions and companies in early childhood, honor the best personal experiences, and pay attention to the field of people of determination in the field of education. Early childhood and promoting the dissemination of the best studies and the most successful practices and methodologies in the field of early education.

She referred to the objectives of the field of the Khalifa International Award for Early Learning, which include: enhancing the various social, physical, mental, intellectual, creative, psychological, cognitive and emotional fields in the early education and childhood years, enriching innovative and distinguished education programs with research, studies, programs, curricula, methodologies and advanced teaching methods in the field of early education, and motivating teachers The creators of change through best practices and innovation in the field of early education, activating and encouraging the role of centers, institutions and specialized education companies in the field of early childhood, introducing the most successful individual experiences in the field of early education, benefiting from the best studies and the most successful programs, methodologies and educational practices in early childhood, and motivating applied in educational institutions within the country.

Suad Al Suwaidi pointed out that the Khalifa Award for Education has scored pioneering achievements since the beginning of its career in 2007, and the award represented one of the prominent national initiatives in the field of awards specialized in educational affairs locally, regionally and internationally, explaining that the current session includes a number of areas presented, including the educational legal personality, which is granted In which the award is given to one of the personalities who has made outstanding contributions in the process of education and supported its advancement, as well as the field of public education, which is considered one of the prominent fields since the inception of the award process. It includes the categories of individuals, institutions, and centers.

For his part, Dr. Khaled Al-Abri said that the Khalifa Award is treading with confidence and determination in advancing its path to support the education process in the next fifty years. From educational research and educational authorship for children to the field of Innovation in teaching Arabic in all its categories, the distinguished teacher locally and the distinguished university lecturer at UAE and the Arab world levels.

Dr. Jameela Khanji also spoke during the press conference about the importance of this course, which kicks off today, coinciding with the start of the new school year, with all that it brings of positivity and optimism among all elements of the educational process and the various groups of society, noting that the award presents the fields of education, community service, and educational authorship for the children. And educational projects and programs, which are areas that represent one of the main pillars in spreading the culture of excellence and promoting the award’s message in the educational field, locally and Arab wise.