The Big Bad Wolf, the world’s biggest book sale, is returning to Dubai during the Holy Month of Ramadan with unbeatable deals. In partnership with Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), this book fair will gather book enthusiasts under one roof again for ten days from March 31 to April 9, 2023, starting from 9am until 2am on the following day.
The event will be held at Sound Stages in Dubai Studio City. The best part is that there is no entry fee, giving attendees more money to spend on purchasing books. With a million books covering various genres and languages from English to Arabic, French, and more, both children and adults can find something of interest, including biographies, non-fiction, history, mystery, science fiction, and more. Book prices are incredibly affordable, with some starting as low as Dhs4.99 in past years.
This event is not only for book lovers but also for those looking to buy gifts for their reading friends. So, mark your calendars and make room on your bookshelves for this event.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has introduced a new service that allows parents to pre-book taxis online for their children’s school pick-ups and drop-offs. The service is especially beneficial for areas that are not covered by school buses. Bookings can be made daily, weekly or monthly via the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) app, available on both Apple and Android devices. The app now includes the ‘In-Safe Hands’ service, which offers enhanced security and convenience to customers.
According to RTA, the ‘In-Safe Hands’ service offers fast processing and tracking of customer requests, while also meeting the unique needs of parents who require transport for their children outside of regular school bus routes.
The director of DTC Digitisation and Commercial Development, Abdullah Ibrahim Al Meer, emphasized the organization’s commitment to offering exceptional services and improving RTA’s multi-modal transport integration. He added that demand for the service has grown significantly over the past year, increasing by up to 122 percent between 2021 and 2022.
Overall, the new service demonstrates RTA’s dedication to providing safe, reliable and flexible transport options for the residents of Dubai, particularly families with school-aged children.
UAE astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi has settled into his new home over 400km above Earth, the International Space Station (ISS), where he will be staying for the next six months. This is the longest Arab space mission in history and is part of Expedition 68/69 to the ISS. AlNeyadi, along with Nasa astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren Hoburg and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, will carry out scientific research to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.
During his stay on the ISS, two Dubai entities will produce a weekly broadcast with interviews, engaging facts, competitions, activities, and opportunities for all students in the UAE to ask the astronaut questions. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) aims to reach 20,000 students and children through the initiative, “Elf in Space,” which is set to become a landmark in interactive education, bringing the groundbreaking and exciting work of the UAE’s space mission to life. The MBRSC has partnered with the Emirates Literature Foundation to launch the educational initiative. There will be 13 live calls and 10 ham radio interactions throughout the six months. Among the first public engagements for Crew-6 is an in-flight event with AlNeyadi. This is scheduled to happen at 4.50pm (UAE time) on March 7, according to the Nasa website.
AlNeyadi’s experiments aboard the ISS will include collaborations with Nasa, the European Space Agency (ESA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and the National Centre for Space Studies (CNES). These experiments will cover 19 scientific studies on cardiovascular and immune system health, back pain, technical demonstrations, epigenetics, fluid science, plant biology, material science, sleep analysis, and radiation. Crew-6’s experiments also include the study of materials burning in microgravity, tissue chip research on heart, brain, cartilage functions, and an investigation to collect microbial samples from the exterior of the space station.
Expedition 68/69 will potentially continue to install the final pieces of iROSA, the roll-out solar arrays on the International Space Station. The MBRSC is funding two research projects from the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU). The first project will assess how the microgravity environment of spaceflight affects cardio-postural interactions, while the second will investigate dental/oral cells in a simulated microgravity environment on Earth. These projects aim to engage students and researchers and enable the development and qualification of future generations of scientists.
Aspiring international students seeking admission to universities in the US face various financial challenges, especially when it comes to paying for tuition, room and board, and other expenses. Federal student loans, which are available to US citizens and permanent residents, are not accessible to international students. Private loans are an option, but they require a US citizen or permanent resident co-signer and a social security number.
International students can also explore education loans from banks in their home countries, but the loan amounts are usually limited. Need-blind universities, which offer financial aid to all students regardless of their nationality and residency, are a viable option. However, these universities are scarce and highly competitive. Need-aware universities, which consider financial need when making admissions decisions, may also offer financial aid to exceptional students, but it is not guaranteed and may not cover the full amount needed.
Top universities that are need-blind for international students are:
Harvard University
Yale University
Princeton University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Amherst College
Dartmouth College
To apply for financial aid, international students must create a College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile on The College Board website, which collects income and asset information and provides it to the universities where the student has requested aid. It is essential to be prepared to share all financial details when applying for financial aid through the CSS Profile.
In conclusion, international students seeking admission to universities in the US must research and understand the financial aid policies of the institutions they are interested in and explore all available options. The best option is to get into a need-blind university, but if that does not happen, affordable community colleges or personal loans may be considered. However, it is important to note that the financial burden can be significant, and students must be prepared to make difficult decisions.
Students from kindergarten to Grade 12 of The Model School in Abu Dhabi’s Mussafah have come together to support the earthquake victims of Turkey and Syria by donating relief items. In a four-day collection drive, the students contributed blankets, sweaters, baby food, diapers, raincoats, clothes, canned food, dry fruits and more.
The school principal, Dr. V.V. Abdul Kader, said that 350 cartons of items were collected and handed over to Emirates Red Crescent to support the “Bridges of Goodness” campaign. The initiative saw a tremendous response from the students and their parents, with many of the items being brand new. The Emirates Red Crescent had launched the campaign earlier this month, in collaboration with 16 humanitarian organisations, to gather and mobilise humanitarian relief supplies in solidarity with the affected Syrian and Turkish families.
The Emirates School Establishment (ESE) has approved the use of paper-based and electronic (multiple-choice) tests to evaluate pupils in public schools, starting from the current semester. The decision covers students in grades 3-12 of all tracks and includes subjects such as Arabic, English, Mathematics, Physics, and Science. The ESE aims to improve the quality of educational outcomes and enhance students’ creative and academic skills by adopting this model.
As part of the trial, the ESE will conduct a paper-based and electronic dual-exam for students from February 27 to March 3, 2023. The new testing model is in line with the establishment’s efforts to improve educational outcomes and provide students with the necessary support for their educational journey.
Over the recent months, the ESE has coordinated with representatives from the educational field and teachers to discuss the positive impact of paper-based and electronic exams on students’ journeys and their acquisition of knowledge. The approved model will contribute to developing students’ skills in several areas, including scientific analysis, critical and creative thinking, and supporting students to improve their performance and grades by analyzing all the answers provided—not just confining test results to the final answer only.
The new model will also contribute to measuring students’ skills and providing accurate data regarding their levels, in addition to maximizing their abilities in language by allowing them to express themselves in writing. The ESE has confirmed that the paper-based and online exams will only apply to the aforementioned subjects, while the online tests will apply to the rest of the subjects.
The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) has launched its admissions campaign for the 2023-2024 academic year. AGDA is a leading center for developing and training future diplomats and leaders in the region. The academy is offering three programs this year: Post-Graduate Diploma in UAE Diplomacy and International Relations (PGD), Master of Arts in Global Affairs and Diplomatic Leadership (MAGAD), and Master of Arts in Humanitarian Action and Development (MAHAD).
The admissions campaign, titled “AGDA: We Invest in Tomorrow,” is expected to receive a higher number of applications this year as all programs are open for applications. The academy’s academic programs are designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge required to represent their nation effectively on the global stage.
AGDA is known for its academic modules that aim to develop diplomatic and leadership skills, research potential, and thought leadership initiatives. The academy’s goal through this campaign is to meet the growing interest among young Emiratis to study its programs, enabling them to play an active role in the UAE’s foreign policy and participate in international affairs and humanitarian work.
The “We Invest in Tomorrow” campaign offers Emiratis the opportunity to apply subject to certain admission criteria, including holding a bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 3 or above, a minimum IELTS score of 6.5, and completion of national service (for male candidates). Emirati mothers’ children residing in the country can apply for the PGD program, subject to additional criteria such as being 35 years or younger and willing to serve abroad.
Prospective students can apply for any of the programs by visiting https://apply.agda.ac.ae/ before the deadline of March 27. More information about the programs and application process is available on the AGDA website at https://www.agda.ac.ae/.
Many schools in the UAE have announced extended holidays for students during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin on March 23.
Several schools will either have their spring break during this time or remain closed after the academic year. The holy month is predicted to last for 29 days, with the first day of Eid Al Fitr likely to be on April 21. UAE residents can expect a four-day weekend for the Islamic festival, with the break likely from April 20 to April 23.
The coinciding of the break with Ramadan is expected to be beneficial for students’ spiritual journey, as it will provide them with the opportunity to focus on their spiritual practices without the added stress of school assignments and deadlines.
On February 26, 2023, Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi will become the first Arab to embark on a long-duration mission to the International Space Station (ISS), making UAE the eleventh country in the world to carry out such a mission. Al Neyadi will conduct 20 scientific experiments and research, as well as an outreach and educational program, among a total of 250 research experiments during his time on the ISS. The launch can be viewed live at mbrsc.ae/live starting from 7.30pm.
The Emirati astronaut will be launched on a Falcon 9 rocket by SpaceX, under the oversight of Nasa, for his first crewed mission. Al Neyadi’s participation in the four-person Crew-6 flight will mainly help Nasa prepare for crewed moon trips, as well as future long-duration living off Earth missions.
Abu Dhabi University’s STEAM competition awards top three winners with up to Dh32,000 in cash prizes. More than 500 students from 42 UAE schools participated in the event, which focused on empowering social innovators to present solutions in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.
The competition aimed to encourage young people to pursue STEAM careers and inspire them to continue learning and innovating. Al Jahili Public School, Al Ain Juniors School, and Al Dar Private School were awarded cash prizes of Dh15,000, Dh10,000, and Dh7,000, respectively. The event was sponsored by Technology Innovation Institute and launched in 2018-2019 to promote innovative learning among school and university students.
