Five decades of vision: Nahyan bin Mubarak reflects on UAE University’s transformative journey

The Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence delivered a keynote address at a landmark seminar celebrating the institution's Golden Jubilee, tracing its evolution from the late Founding Father's founding vision to its emergence as a leading centre of learning and research.

The Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research convened a seminar in Abu Dhabi that drew together academics, officials and specialists to examine the University’s fifty-year trajectory and its pivotal role in shaping the nation’s intellectual capital. The occasion marked a moment of reflection on what the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan established nearly five decades ago as the country’s first institution of higher education, and what it has become under the steady stewardship of successive leadership.

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, opened the discussion with a richly layered address that wove together personal recollection, institutional philosophy and forward-looking vision. Having served the University for thirty years, he brought a depth of familiarity with its evolution that few could match. He spoke of the late Founding Father’s conviction that education would shape the nation’s future, and of how that foundational belief had been carried forward through decades of growth and refinement.

The Minister emphasised ten interconnected areas that he and the University community pursued with discipline and resolve. These ranged from the University’s role as a unifying national institution, drawing students from across the emirates, to its commitment to international academic accreditation and its responsibility to serve the knowledge economy. He recalled the emphasis on attracting outstanding faculty, expanding postgraduate and research programmes, and maintaining productive relationships with employers and the broader community. Strategic planning, technological innovation and transparency in reporting formed the backbone of institutional approach.

Central to his remarks was the recognition that UAE University was never merely an educational establishment in isolation, but rather a vital organ of the nation’s development. As the Minister has articulated on other occasions, education serves the family and the nation as a transformative force, and the University’s fifty years have borne witness to that principle in practice. The institution has become home to graduates who now occupy positions of leadership across every sector and emirate, their contributions woven into the fabric of the nation’s progress.

The Minister also paid tribute to Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Mother of the Nation, noting the growing presence and influence of female students and graduates as a reflection of her steadfast commitment to women’s empowerment and their full participation in society. The University, he observed, had become a tangible expression of that vision through decades of intentional development.

The seminar’s panel discussions extended the conversation into contemporary terrain. Professor Ahmed Ali Alraeesi, Vice Chancellor of the University, spoke of how the institution continues to evolve, developing academic programmes aligned with national priorities and emerging fields such as artificial intelligence. Dr Sultan Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Director General of the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research, underlined the importance of knowledge generation and the collaborative relationship between universities and research organisations in building the nation’s intellectual infrastructure.

A second panel, examining the University’s role in building national human capital, featured specialists in public health, engineering and governance. Their contributions underscored a central theme: that the rapid transformation of labour markets and technological change demands that universities equip their students not merely with disciplinary knowledge but with critical thinking, adaptability and the analytical foundations for navigating complexity. Dr Farida Al Hosani, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Institute for Disease Elimination, spoke to how early leadership investment in people had accelerated the nation’s development trajectory by decades. Her colleagues emphasised the imperative of continuous skill development and the alignment of academic preparation with real-world employment needs.

The seminar concluded by reaffirming the centrality of higher education to the nation’s future. The discussions recognised that universities must remain dynamic institutions, responsive to change yet anchored in enduring values of excellence, integrity and service to society. As the University embarks on its fiftieth year, the conversations suggested both a deep legacy to be honoured and a promising frontier to be cultivated.

Source: WAM