Ideas Abu Dhabi, a two-day ideas festival held in association with the Aspen Institute, is set to return on 27-28 March, bringing together some of the brightest minds from the UAE and around the world to tackle complex global challenges. The event includes a Special Fellows Programme, developed to expose future Emirati leaders to today’s global thinkers and industry experts. Championing the role of young people in shaping the future, each year the Special Fellows Programme selects ten high-achieving young Emiratis who are granted full access to the two-day Forum of Ideas Abu Dhabi, attending all sessions, breakouts and keynotes.
Over the last two years, Ideas Abu Dhabi has built an alumni base of 20 exceptional young people from the fellowship programme including Sami Al Marzooqi, Acting Head of Planning and Quality in the Court of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi; Hanan Almarzooqi, a Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Scholars Program alumna; Dubai Abulhoul and Majida Al Maktoum, both recipients of the 2019 Rhodes Scholarship, among others.
The 2019 edition of Ideas Abu Dhabi promises to introduce another talented batch of hopeful students and determined graduates who are already shaping the future in their own unique way.
Saeed Al Nazari, Director General of the Federal Youth Authority, said: “One of the top priorities of the Federal Youth Authority is to empower and involve Emirati youth in critical discussions and debates on challenges of global importance. The Special Fellows Programme creates a platform in which young people of the UAE are exposed to some of the world’s most ground breaking thinking from world leaders and industry experts, and allows them to challenge their ideas and assumptions. The UAE Government attaches great importance to listening to the voices and contributions of the Emirati youth, and the Special Fellows Programme at Ideas Abu Dhabi allows us to do just that.”
Referencing his forthcoming experience as a 2019 Special Fellow, Abdullah AlHeshemi said: “Since first learning about Ideas Abu Dhabi, I have been very interested in the specific topics that were covered at the forum. In previous editions, I was intrigued by the level of the speakers who attended from all over the world to discuss important issues. This year I decided to apply to the Special Fellows Programme in order to engage further in the event by taking on a more active role in the discussions. The Ideas Abu Dhabi forum is a valuable opportunity that enables me to network with esteemed guests and speakers, with this year’s selected discussions addressing topics that are personally relevant. As a recent graduate, my degree in International Affairs fueled my interest in the upcoming moonshot topic, “New World Order to None? Evolution & Crisis in Global Relations,” which looks to explore issues related to the current state of global affairs.”
Expressing her anticipation for the upcoming forum, Jawaher Al Hebsi said: “I applied to be a Special Fellow because of what Ideas Abu Dhabi represents: an important platform to share ideas, listen and learn how to collectively tackle humanity’s pressing challenges. I’m excited to be taking part in the thought-provoking discussions that will be presented at this year’s forum and look forward to the insights that will be shared by a well-respected array of both national and international speakers.”
Meet the 2019 Fellows:
Abdullah AlHashemi: Handling diplomatic affairs and international and regional affairs, AlHashemi is a 24-year-old Protocol Officer at Louvre Abu Dhabi with an International Affairs degree from Zayed University in Abu Dhabi.
Alanoud Hindi AlShamsi: A sophomore at New York University Abu Dhabi, Alanoud is double majoring in Political Science and Creative Writing, combining her love for literature and Emirati culture. One day, she hopes to help in easing the access to education for children internationally.
Fatma Almarri: A research associate and a member of the Sports Committee at Dubai Tourism, Fatma holds a Bachelor of Business Sciences degree with a concentration in Finance. Fatma is always on the hunt for opportunities that will allow her to be involved in her society and encourage others to explore self-development.
Jawaher Al Hebsi: A current trainee diplomat at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy and a cultural guide at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Jawaher completed her bachelor’s degree in tourism and political philosophy from UAEU and went on to get her graduate degree in global affairs, with a specialisation in gender studies from NYU. Jawaher was also recently selected as a Junior Professional Officer for the United Nations.
Khawla Al Mutawa: Finishing her fourth year of her Psychology degree at Zayed University, Khawla is interested in psychology that focuses on cultural values that shape our thoughts, feelings and behavior. After graduation, she hopes to work in the educational sector to improve the school curriculums.
Nawal Aljaeedi: Born in the Philippines and raised in Abu Dhabi, Nawal studies Psychology and Music at NYUAD and hopes to pursue graduation in Forensic Science, Pathology, or Clinical Psychology. Nawal graduated from the NYUAD Summer Academy class of 2016 and has been running and managing the local radio station of NYUAD, called “Howler Radio,” since the Fall of 2018. She has also just started working in the cognitive neuroscience lab at NYUAD.
Shaikha Al Maktoum: A sophomore student studying at New York University Abu Dhabi, Shaikha is a member of Sufara’a, NYUAD’s Student Ambassador Program where she works to enhance students’ knowledge of UAE culture and traditions. Shaikha’s interest in politics stems from a desire to explore patterns of conflict and cooperation in international affairs.
Shaima Aljneibi: A recent Information Technology graduate from Zayed University, Shaima’s senior research paper, ‘Addressing the Level of Internet Privacy Awareness in The Emirates Using Data Analytics’, has gained recognition in conferences nationally and globally and will be part of this year’s World Congress on Undergraduate Research (WCUR) in Germany.
For more information, visit www.ideasabudhabi.ae
