التكنولوجيا وأخبارها بوابة الإمارات لتكنولوجيا المعلومات والإتصالات
Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University highlights best practices in excellence and innovation to redefine the future of higher education
- Mansoor Al-Awar: “Excellence, quality, and innovation, coupled with implementation are essential pillars to enter the new global race towards achieving comprehensive and sustainable development.”
Dr.Mansoor Al-Awar, Chancellor of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU)
emphasized the value of innovation and excellence in establishing the foundation of higher
education as he discussed the pioneering experiences of HBMSU in becoming an
internationally-recognized academic and knowledge institution. The university has become
known for redefining the future of learning and education in line with the requirements of
the 21stcentury by providing a unique model that aims to produce a new generation of
graduates who are innovators, entrepreneurs, knowledge ambassadors, and future leaders
rather than job seekers.
The talk took place during a seminar themed ‘Innovation in Higher Education’ as part of a
series of interactive sessions being hosted by the Egypt Government Excellence Award. The
session features the ‘Best Government Excellence Practices in the Higher Education’
through the online video platform ‘Zoom’,with the presence of high-profileexperts in
government excellence.
Al-Awardiscussedthe pillars of the new learning methodsbeing adopted at HBMSU in line
with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President
and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to create a new generation of highly
qualified professionals capable of competing globally in various contemporary human
disciplines and knowledge.
Al-Awarnoted that HBMSU, with the constant guidance of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of the University,
has successfully established an entirely new educational model that places the learner at
the center of strategic priorities, focusing on developing educational curricula and
upgrading the skills of both learners and teachers, as well as providing an educational
environment that stimulates excellence, scientific research, innovation and technological
empowerment.
During the lecture, the Chancellor highlighted the necessity of adopting international best
practices in excellence and quality to re-engineer the future of education and prepare
generations that are academically, scientifically, innovatively, and creatively fit to compete
in the global arena.
Al-Awar reviewed the concepts of innovation from multiple perspectives such as how to
entrench the culture of innovation in higher education institutions to upgrade the learning
environment away from the traditional model. He further advised to take advantage of
HBMSU’s experiences in pioneering smart learning in the Arab world, which has been
known for enhancing opportunities in distance education and lifelong learning through
creativity- and innovation-ledinitiatives such as the “Smart Building”, “Smart Campus”, and
“Gamification methodology”. These efforts represent an important contribution to youth
building equipped with the knowledge, experience, and tools needed to compete globally.
He highlighted the results of HBMSU’s pioneering efforts to integrate innovation within the
educational system, attainingmajor achievements that change the face of higher education
based on innovation, creativity, technology and scientific research, further citing that these
are in accordance with the directives of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, to provide the best for future innovators and creators and build the capabilities
of youth who are essential pillarsin the drive towards development in all societies.
Dr. Al-Awarmentioned the importance of educatingthe academic community in the Arab
world on how to achieve innovation in higher education institutions, stressing that
innovation cannot be achieved without laying the foundations of excellence as the
cornerstone for upgrading the capabilities of learners and academics to keep pace with the
rapid developments taking place in the 21stcentury.
He added: “We are delighted to share with the higher education institutions in Egypt our
accumulated experiences and our pioneering expertise in making innovation, excellence
and quality the key foundations in improving the educational system to be the engine of
development and growth. Our efforts are in line with the directives of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan
bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to promote knowledge and invest in the youth as
top priorities to ensure sustainable development.
He further explained the ways to encourage innovation in higher education institutions,
foremost of which is to develop strategic plans, update science subjects, improve the
learning environment, and empowerthe faculty and learners. He cited that HBMSU’s
success also comes in modernizing learning methods in all academic courses andbuilding
on approaches such as creativity, research, development, critical thinking and the creation
of innovation incubators and creative learner laboratories that have proven to be a great
success in bringing about transformative and positive change in involving learners in the
educational process. Learners are considered as real partners in the process of creating,
disseminating, and transferring knowledge instead of recipients, while enabling academics
to play a pivotal role as facilitators to learn in place of indoctrinated teachers, he added.
Al-Awarenumerated the types of innovation which comprise ‘radical’ innovation and
‘gradual’ innovation, mentioning that innovation is the outcome of creativity. He also noted
the importance of some concepts such as positivity, modernity, technology, and problem
solving in bringing educational institutions to new levels of competitiveness, excellence,
and efficiency.
He also discussed the role of innovation in upgrading the competitive advantage of higher
education institutions, especially in terms of improving the level of learning, the quality of
the university environment, and integratingin education the ability to visualize, adapt, and
constantly progress. He reviewed as well the success factors that made HBMSU a
pioneering model for future universities, especially in adopting a forward-looking approach
based on integrating technology, innovation, creativity, and scientific research, as well as
focusing on pioneering change, a passion for results, and stimulating innovation and
entrepreneurship.
The interactive sessions held electronically witnessed high-level participation from leading
experts in the field of government excellence. Best practices related to the ‘Egypt
Government Excellence Award’ were discussed, as well as an opportunity for ambassadors
of excellence, representatives of major government agencies and Egyptian universities to
direct questions to Dr. Mansoor and other participating experts to benefit from their
experiences in various fields related to government excellence.
