Business & Money | Friday 22 September, 2017 5:00 am |

UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has inaugurated the Mohammed bin Rashid Arabic eLearning Project, with the launch of The Translation Challenge. The Challenge calls on all Arabs to help translate to Arabic 5,000 videos and 11 million words of world-class maths and science material to be available online free to over 50 million Arab students from kindergarten to grade 12. The content is to be sourced and localised in accordance with the highest international standards and curricula.

At the launch, His Highness said, “Providing high quality education in science and math to all Arab students is integral to rebooting our civilizational development; E-Learning is the fastest way to bridge the educational gap in the Arab world.”

He continued, “We have challenged all Arabs to help translate 11 million words in order to produce 5,000 educational videos in one year; we urge anyone interested to participate in this important ongoing cultural project.”

His Highness elaborated, “Our goal is to provide high standard academic material in science and maths to all Arab students; this project is the first step in a long journey to improve education in the Arab world, and make it accessible to millions of Arab students. Translation is the foundation of a cultural renaissance, and opens the doors to intellectual enlightenment.”  

“The reality of the education system in the Arab world may be disappointing, however today we light a candle of hope. I believe in the unbound potential of Arab students when they have access to the necessary resources, tools and material to excel.” He concluded.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Arabic eLearning Project falls under the umbrella of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI). It is an online initiative that seeks to lay the foundation of a new knowledge base, and to establish the future of science and math excellence among Arab students.

The first of a number of initiatives planned under the Project, The Translation Challenge is a call to action for all Arabs to come together to translate to Arabic 5,000 videos and over 11 million words of educational content in science and math for students from kindergarten to grade 12. The project will offer the material online free to over 55 million Arab students in the hopes of rebooting civilisation in the region, and instilling a curiosity for knowledge in future generations to come.

MBRGI is a non-profit foundation dedicated to improving the world through humanitarian, development and community work. It includes 33 institutions and initiatives that have implemented over 1400 developmental and humanitarian programmes, which have helped support over 130 million people in 116 countries, in cooperation with more than 280 strategic partners, including government entities, private companies and regional and international organisations.