• The UAE's initiatives in the space sector develop 21st-century skills among students and stimulate creativity and innovation.
• Events are consistent with the goals of the Centennial, which aims to enhance the level of teaching advanced science and technology.
• Activities by the UAE Space Agency: activities that build a national workforce and establish a sustainable economy.
• "Research Grants": a program from "Mohammed bin Rashid for Space" targeting support for advanced research.
• "Discover Mars": a competition that ignites the passion for research among new generations.
• Global dialogues and conferences hosted by the country attract Emirati students and researchers.
• Expo 2020 Dubai: a platform that promoted the country's efforts and achievements in the space sector.

Abu Dhabi, December 6 (WAM) - The UAE has not spared any effort to enhance awareness among all segments of society about the importance of its space sector program and its impact on all aspects of life, through launching a large number of important community initiatives that are both inspiring and significant, in addition to organizing global conferences that attracted attention to the importance of the role played by the country, after it became an important player in the global space club.

The Emirates Space Agency and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre have focused on providing interactive activities that are both engaging and inspiring, while also simplifying space science, especially for young generations. This is done to encourage them to study these sciences, as they believe that achieving an economy based on knowledge primarily relies on enhancing the scientific and technological skills of these generations through the use of the best global standards that focus on developing students' skills and encouraging creativity and innovation by adopting modern educational activities that align with 21st-century skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving. These interactive and inspiring activities aim to develop advanced local capabilities in space technology research, development, and manufacturing, build a strong national culture and expertise in the field of space, and strengthen effective partnerships and investments in the space industry at both the local and global levels. These events also align with the goals of the UAE Centennial 2071, which aims to enhance the teaching of advanced sciences and technologies, particularly in fields such as space, engineering, innovation, medical and health sciences, and establish values that promote professionalism in educational institutions. It also seeks to create open-minded minds by learning from developed countries' experiences and develop mechanisms for discovering students' individual talents from an early stage.

- A source of inspiration.
The UAE’s space projects have succeeded in inspiring new generations to study and work in this specialized sector. The Emirati community is now highly aware of the importance of this field for the future of the UAE, and how it will positively affect their lives and take them towards a better future. This has been achieved thanks to the scientific achievements and positive results that serve humanity.
The qualitative and significant successes achieved by the UAE’s space program in recent years, through projects including the UAE’s mission to explore Mars, the Moon, and the asteroid belt, have made Emiratis and Arabs alike feel proud. These achievements encouraged them to enter this sector, which has a bright future ahead of it, especially as the UAE’s achievements are a step towards restoring our Arab glory, history, and past scientific renaissance.

- Building a workforce of citizens.
The UAE Space Agency offers many inspiring community and educational initiatives and programs aimed at building a highly efficient human resource and citizen workforce in the field of space, developing scientific knowledge and research that benefits humanity, and establishing a sustainable economy based on knowledge.
The agency's initiatives include student competitions, school outreach, and astronomical events to promote scientific research and innovation in space sciences and attract young Emiratis to the space sector.
The agency provides opportunities for university students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, citizens of the UAE, to study and gain experience through work and internships with global space partners such as NASA, Lockheed Martin, and Calspan among others.

- Support for advanced research.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre has launched several initiatives that have had a significant impact on raising awareness of the importance of the space sector among society, as well as attracting new generations of students to study space science courses. This is part of its efforts to qualify young national cadres who can lead future national projects.
These initiatives include the “Research Grant Program”, which aligns with the UAE’s strategy for promoting scientific research and aims to support advanced research in the field of space sciences. It targets university students and Emirati academics, and supports two main areas of space science research, including a research grant on the Martian atmosphere.
This grant contributes to developing the knowledge and tools needed to achieve the scientific goals of the UAE’s project to explore Mars. The other research grant is dedicated to space sciences, covering other topics such as planetary and galactic sciences.

- Stirring the students' passion.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre regularly receives a large number of school visits, which has come close to tens of thousands, as a result of an increase in student interest in space sciences and encouragement for them to excel in science, mathematics and technology. The centre also launched the “Deep Learning Camp”, an intensive educational programme aimed at familiarising participants with deep learning and its applications in satellite image analysis. The programme is a platform for university students, providing them with the opportunity to study the fundamental and innovative aspects of deep learning.
The Centre organises the “Discover Mars” competition, which is an annual event launched with the aim of building a culture based on a love of exploration and creating future generations of young Emiratis interested in space sciences. In addition, there is a Space Sciences Research Programme for university students, where undergraduate students who are accepted into the programme benefit from an 8-10 week guidance period by the scientific team of the UAE Mars Exploration Project and world-class scientists.
The Centre also organises the Space Explorer Camp, which offers a number of workshops. It has launched the Education Ambassadors Programme, which aims to build an active group of teachers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects who will represent their schools within educational initiatives linked to the UAE Mars Exploration Project.

- Global dialogues.
As a continuation of these great efforts, the UAE has won the organization of global conferences for the first time at the regional level, attracting large numbers of the most important experts and researchers in the field of space sciences. The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, in cooperation with the International Astronautical Federation, organized the 72nd session of the International Space Navigation Conference for the first time in the Arab world, which received about 5,000 specialists and experts from 80 countries to discuss thousands of specialized scientific papers. In March next year, the Space Operations Conference will be held under the slogan "We Invest in Space for Achievements Beyond Earth," which is the most prominent technical forum for the global space operations community and an important opportunity for Emirati students and researchers to attend.
In this regard, Abu Dhabi will host the first edition of the Abu Dhabi Space Dialogue organized by the UAE Space Agency on December 5-6, 2022. The global dialogue hosted by the country with the participation of a number of political, military, and space policy leaders is an exceptional global platform where experts and decision-makers exchange views. They will discuss the challenges and opportunities in the field of space, enhance the UAE's contribution to international space policies, and lead global dialogues on key challenges facing space, based on its full commitment to international conventions, agreements, and treaties in this field.
- A rare opportunity.
Expo 2020 Dubai was an important platform that introduced visitors from around the world to the efforts and achievements of the UAE in the sector الفضاء، حيث كان المهندسون والباحثون الإماراتيون والقائمون على مشروعات الفضاء في الدولة، على موعد مع زوار المعرض، حيث كرسوا جهودهم لتعزيز شغفهم باستكشاف الفضاء، وذلك من خلال الجلسات والحلقات النقاشية، التي سعت إلى التعريف بأحدث تطورات المشروعات الوطنية في هذا القطاع، وبرنامج الإمارات الوطني للفضاء خلال اسبوع الفضاء.
واستعرضت الإمارات إنجازاتها وقدراتها التي حققتها في قطاع الفضاء، وذلك خلال فعاليات الحدث التي استمرت 6 أشهر، حيث ألقت الضوء على الآفاق المستقبلية لصناعة الفضاء وانعكاسها على تحسين الحياة على كوكب الأرض.
وقدم إكسبو دبي فرصة ثرية للطلبة والشغوفين والمهتمين بقطاع الفضاء، وذلك من خلال توفيره فرصة قلما تتكرر بمقابلتهم لشخصيات عالمية من مسؤولي وكالات ورواد الفضاء من كل أنحاء العالم، والذين حضروا كافة الفعاليات وقدموا ورش عمل للطلبة وغيرهم، فيما مثل ذلك أساساً لإلهامهم وتشجيعهم على الانضمام لهذا القطاع الذي يشهد تنامياً متسارعاً في تخصصاته ووظائفه.

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