SHARJAH, 15th December, 2021 (WAM) — H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, today inaugurated the Sharjah Education Academy building in the University City of Sharjah.
Upon his arrival at the venue, Dr. Sheikh Sultan unveiled the memorial plaque for the academy building. He wished the graduates of the academy success and thanked all those who contributed to establishing this great educational edifice.
After the national anthem recitation, he watched a presentation on the academy’s vision and mission and its contribution to achieving a qualitative leap in education by training teachers according to the latest international systems and enhancing students’ education by graduating a generation of male and female teachers, in line with the objectives of the Emirate of Sharjah in terms of community development.
In her speech, Dr. Muhadditha Al Hashimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), expressed her thanks and appreciation to the Ruler of Sharjah for his unstinted support and interest in this project that provides training and empowers teachers in line with the highest quality standards.
Dr. Sheikh Sultan and the attendees watched a presentation by the students of the International School of Creative Science. It embodied the students’ appreciation of teachers, their role in society, and the respect and reverence students have for them.
Marianne Nissilä, Ambassador of Finland to the UAE conveyed in her speech the Finnish government’s greetings to the Ruler of Sharjah. She praised the emirate's interest in education and the partnership with the University of Helsinki. She explained that it would lead to a fundamental role in preparing and training teachers through all the tools necessary to develop their skills, thus enhancing the school’s quality of education. It would reflect positively on students and their education and achieve the sustainable and distinguished education to which Sharjah aspires, the Ambassador added.
The Finnish Ambassador referred to the importance of cooperation in areas of education, stressing that the emirate has a long-term commitment to strengthening services provided to families, children and youth, in addition to its quest to provide the best in the field of education and its development, which will bear fruit in the near future.
In a visual message, Dr. Sari Lindblom, Rector of the University of Helsinki, expressed her thanks and appreciation to the Ruler of Sharjah for the emirate's confidence and for choosing the university to cooperate in the fields of education and teacher preparation.
Dr. Jeanine Romano, Executive Director of the Sharjah Education Academy, explained that the academy is working to achieve its goals through a three-pronged approach involving professional development, academic education, and research. The academy contributed in 2020 to training 100,000 participants from 11 countries through electronic channels during the circumstances imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, she noted.
After the opening ceremony, the Ruler of Sharjah witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Sharjah Education Academy and the University of Helsinki. Dr. Al Hashimi and Dr. Hanna Snellman, Vice Rector of the University of Helsinki, signed the agreement. The agreement aims to strengthen scientific and academic relations between the two sides and empower educators and the educational field with the best innovative practices.