The King Abdulaziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity “Mawhiba” has signed a strategic partnership in Paris with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to boost education across Arab countries, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
In coordination with the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, the partnership aims at fostering science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the region.
The partnership was signed by Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al-Subail, Mawhiba deputy secretary-general for business development and communication, and Lidia Arthur Brito, UNESCO’s assistant director-general for natural sciences.
Mawhiba’s Secretary-General Dr. Amal bint Abdullah Al-Hazzaa expressed the Foundation’s great honor to sign such a partnership with UNESCO, stressing that it mainly reflects the joint commitment to empowering students in Arab countries and promoting sustainable development through education and innovation.
Al-Hazzaa also highlighted that the current cooperation aligns with the Saudi Vision 2030 and stands as a testament to the progress made by the Kingdom under the successful leadership with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his Crown Prince.
In the same context, Brito expressed her happiness to enhance UNESCO’s cooperation with Mawhiba, underscoring the deal’s pivotal role in providing young people with the necessary knowledge and skills, and motivate them to use STEM education to address global challenges.
Promising objectives
The partnership has set the following objectives:
- Supporting STEM education for students from grades 6 to 12 in Arab countries
- Improving the students’ scientific knowledge and developing their creativity and critical thinking
- Empowering Arab youth with all necessary skills to ensure they have equal opportunities to excel in STEM fields
- Training Arab science teachers to lead research and mentor students in scientific projects
- Enhancing the overall quality of STEM education
- Promoting public understanding of STEM through targeted training programs, especially for pre-primary children and young women
- Ensuring inclusiveness and accessibility of STEM education in Arab countries
MAWHIBA-UNESCO Online STEM Oasis
MAWHIBA-UNESCO Online STEM Oasis is the core center of the partnership serving as a global platform for local, national, and regional science and engineering fairs.
The oasis aims to provide valuable opportunities for Arab students to showcase their talents and gain international recognition.
Furthermore, it focuses on conducting immediate assessments of middle and high schools in Arab countries to raise the standards of education and infrastructure.
The partnership will enable Mawhiba to expand the use of UNESCO Open Science Portal and UNESCO Science to Innovation Network in order empower female students and scientists in STEM education worldwide.
Over the past three years, Mawhiba has supported 839 students from Arab countries through various educational programmes in STEM fields, marking the beginning of regional cooperation in STEM education.
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