- The UAE’s Advisory Committee for Higher Education and Future Skills held its second 2025 meeting, chaired by H.E. Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar.
- Three new working groups were launched Legal Competencies, Drone Skills, and National Competencies Enhancement bringing the total to eight.
- The meeting reviewed key national initiatives, including AI ethics in education, integration of future skills in curricula, and a roadmap for health education.
Chaired by His Excellency Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation and Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the second meeting of the Advisory Committee for Higher Education and Future Skills was held for 2025. The meeting took place at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences and brought together its members representing national universities and key economic sectors.
During the meeting, three new working groups were established - the Legal Competencies Development Group, the Drone Skills Group and the National Competencies Enhancement Group - to address the Energy, Renewable Energy and Water sectors, considered to be emerging and of crucial importance to the UAE economy. The total number of the Committee's working groups has now gone up to eight. Formed during the first meeting of the Advisory Committee were five working groups comprising leading academic and industry experts: the Health Sciences Group; the Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education Group; the Economic Sectors and Higher Education Partnerships Group; the Future of Jobs and Skills Group; and the Workforce Supply and Demand in Public and Higher Education Group.
His Excellency Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar said: “We are committed to aligning higher education with national priorities and future labour market needs, empowering universities and research centres to drive sustainable development. The Advisory Committee for Higher Education and Future Skills serves as a model for collaboration, uniting experts, academics, and industry leaders in turning ideas into actionable initiatives that build future-ready talent".
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His Excellency Dr. Al Awar emphasized that the Advisory Committee is a national platform that allows enhancing coordination between higher education and the different economic sectors of the country. He added that the formation of the new working groups is considered one of the important steps taken by the Ministry to establish an integrated network for connecting universities and research centers with the industrial and private sectors, toward boosting the UAE's future vision and global competitiveness.
Key initiatives and projects led by the working groups, such as an ethical framework for AI use in higher education, the integration of future skills in academic programmes so as to meet labour market needs, and developing a national roadmap for health education in order to enhance the curricula, academic programmes, clinical training, and healthcare innovation, were also reviewed at the meeting.
Specialised forums will be held for each working group, bringing together stakeholders to present their initiatives, share achievements, and exchange knowledge across education, scientific research, business, and industry sectors.