General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence, will attend here today a ceremony to felicitate winners of the Sheikh Rashid Award for Academic Excellence.
Top achievers from the UAE including leading researchers in medicine and alternative energy sources will be honoured in the event which will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The Cultural and Scientific Association (CSA) will acknowledge the work of 342 shortlisted scholars, including holders of masters and PhD degrees, as well as outstanding students from UAE colleges and universities.
Some of the award winners said the recognition is not only an honour but also an incentive for UAE nationals to excel in their chosen field. They said the objective is not just to obtain the best credentials but to do become a positive force in development.
Tamim Mohammed Al Hajj, who earned a masters degree in mechatronics engineering from South Bank University in London, said: "I carried out my undergraduate studies in the same place and the same university, so I'm really proud to have persevered. The award to me is a motive to further my PhD studies in solar hydrogen energy."
Al Hajj, 25, added: "This honour encourages all UAE nationals because it motivates us to improve our educational performance."
Dina Bel Jaflah received a masters degree in environmental science with an emphasis on policy and planning from California University in the USA. Dina, who graduated with honours, now works for the Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Cooperation.
"I believe that students perform highly whenever they enjoy what they study. The Rashid Award for Academic Excellence satisfies me because I feel that my work has been appreciated and that I have served a purpose.
"The prize is something motivational and inspires people to give more. I'm not interested in the financial prize and I don't know how much is it. But I'm happy in the award's value as far as its meaning is concerned. Being honoured is not always easy because it puts you in a position where you always have to maintain a high calibre."
Dr Abdullah Ibrahim Al Rumaithi earned a PhD in Diagnostic Radiology from the University of Alberta in Canada. He said it is not just a person's title or career that counts, but their education, which is important because it serves the individual and society as a whole.
"This award makes me more responsible because it carries the name of the late Sheikh Rashid, one the country's builders. I am proud to be the first UAE national to get the Canadian degree in diagnostic radiology. I intend to pursue specialist training in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the same university."
Dr Al Rumaithi, who works at Zayed Hospital in Abu Dhabi, added: "Medicine is a difficult mission which took me 13 years to study. But this award makes me proud of what I have achieved so far."
Dr Fatima Mahmoud Al Attar, who earned the Arab Board of Family Medicine equivalent to a PhD from Arabian Gulf University, said: "After four years of work and study, I believe this award is a wonderful recognition of my efforts and it makes me feel satisfied of my achievement. The Sheikh Rashid Award is the best proof that anyone who works hard in Dubai can gain rewards."
Dr Fatima, a family physician in charge of Al Rashidiya Clinic run by the Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services, thanked her husband and three children who supported her while she was studying.
She said she hoped her children would aim for the same honour in the future. Having earned her Arab Board of Family Medicine qualification from Cairo University, Dr Haifa Salem Al Shabibi believes that the award gives the recipient a great boost.
She said: "It's a good incentive from the government to recognise top students for their years of hard work. It also should be an enticement to younger generations to double their educational efforts."
Dr Haifa currently works at Al Jazira Hospital in Abu Dhabi, considers that the Rashid Award is a psychological motivation for those who have "endured three years of stress, effort and condensed learning".
Ahmed Abdullah Belhoul earned a masters degree in telecommunication engineering from the University of Melbourne, Australia. He told Gulf News: "I received my bachelors degree at Sharjah's Etisalat Academy. Then I was granted a scholarship and went to Australia to further my postgraduate studies. This is the second time that I have been awarded the Rashid Award after my high school award in 1995.
"I am happy to make my father proud, especially because he has provided such great support. As, per the scholarship terms, I will become a university instructor at the academy once I have completed my PhD."
Dr Mariam Ahmed Shakir received a degree from the Arab Board of Family Medicine in Syria. She is now the only female doctor working at the maternity and newborns section at Diba Al Fujairah Hospital.
She said: "The Award makes me feel that my work has been acknowledged. My husband has supported me all along, especially when I had to move to Sharjah to study."
The award ceremony takes place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai.
Gulf News
