Emirates Youth Council holds workshop in Washington

As part of its new initiative, the World Council for Emirati Youth, designed to enhance communication with young Emiratis studying abroad to involve them in community service, Emirates Youth Council has organised a youth circle workshop in Washington.

The workshop, hosted by the UAE Embassy in Washington on the sidelines of the Seventh Forum for Students on Scholarships in the United States, was attended by Dr. Ahmad bin Abdulla Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education; Shamma bint Sohail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs; Omar Al Shamsi, Deputy UAE Ambassador to US; Mohammad Mir Al Raisi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Staff Major General Pilot Abdullah Al Sayyed Al Hashemi, Assistant Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Defence for Support Services; and Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Director-General of Abu Dhabi Education Council.

The event was also attended by an elite of Emirati youth and students studying at American universities.

At the gathering, Al Mazrui noted, "We are fully aware of the importance of young Emiratis interaction abroad with their community and youth circle workshop, which is the first starting point towards establishing more youth circle workshops for Emiratis in various countries around the world."

As part of the initiative, she continued, "We seek to engage them to interact with various issues of interest to them and inculcate positive citizenship values in them. These platforms represent an ideal opportunity to promote direct communication between decision-makers and leaders of the future."

She also referred to the diversity of experiences of Emirati youth abroad, as they are exposed to different cultures.

Al Falasi said boosting communication with Emirati youth tops the priorities of the ministry, which is keen to keep doors open for them locally or abroad. He said he had visited different countries, such as Australia, the United Kingdom and the US, where he held rich and in-depth discussions with the students.

"This visit to Washington to host the youth circle workshop follows the launch of the 2030 Vision on Higher Education, to assess views of students," he added.

Al Shamsi said the holding of the seventh Youth Circle Workshop for Students 2016 is a step to harness the energies of those youths studying in the US.