A delegation from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation has embarked on a tour of the United States to explore possibilities of joining forces with a number of leading universities to enhance educational opportunities in the Arab World through capacity building, education and training. Among its objectives, the Foundation is committed to elevating education in the Arab world to international standards, building human capital and seeking cross cultural understanding. Partnering with world class universities on a number of initiatives will enable the Foundation to have a stronger impact in the region.

In addition, the visit compliments the Foundation’s continuous efforts to offer greater educational opportunities for deserving Arab youth who demonstrate outstanding competencies. The aim of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Fellows programme is to support these future leaders who will, in turn play a crucial role in the development of the Arab World.

At the onset of the programme, the Foundation had agreements with over 36 regional and international universities for actioning its Pioneers and Fellows programmes, as part of its Knowledge and Education sector. Additional ten universities are being finalized during this trip.

Led by Mustafa Al Ansari, Vice President - Operations at the Foundation, the delegation will visit seven US states to explore opportunities with top-tier universities that share its vision towards empowering a new generation of Arab youth with the ability to lead positive development across the Arab World.

In line with its strategy to initiate more capacity building programmes, the Foundation’s tour will include meetings with representatives of ten American universities, including Columbia, Georgetown, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, University of California-Berkeley, University of California-Los Angeles, University of Michigan and Yale.

The delegation will also meet with the Foundation’s existing partner universities for the Fellows Programme and the students who are currently pursuing their post graduate studies sponsored by the Foundation.

Mustafa Al Ansari said: “This tour comes almost a year after the successful launch of the Fellows programme. The increasing interest in the programme from various parts of the Arab World has prompted us to explore expansion opportunities for growing our partner network of international universities.”

Al Ansari added: "The Fellows programme derives its philosophy from the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of creating a generation of leaders equipped with the necessary knowledge to meet the challenges to sustainable development in their communities. Fellows is one of the Knowledge and Education sector programmes which aim to develop intellectual skills and competencies in the Arab World.”

Janine El Tal, Director of Knowledge and Education at the Foundation, said: “Our visit to the US will allow us to interact with our partner universities, while exploring fresh avenues to give students from the region increased opportunity to pursue world-class higher education abroad.

Through the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Fellows Programme, the Foundation seeks to increase its base of Arab youth who can contribute to the development of their respective countries and the entire Arab region.”

Launched by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, the Fellows Programme seeks to enable talented and deserving students across the Arab World to study at prestigious institutions such as Stanford and Wharton Schools of Business. Upon completion of their studies, sponsored students will return to the Arab region to play a pivotal role in the development of the public and private sectors.