Ain 120 Jan 2017

Community
Salama bint Hamdan Foundation supports Rhodes
Scholarship for the UAE
The Rhodes Scholarship for the UAE (RSUAE), the first in the GCC, has been permanently endowed with a grant
from the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation (SHF).
Under the RSUAE, two Rhodes
Scholarships per year are awarded
to eligible applicants, enabling
them to pursue postgraduate studies
at Oxford University in the UK for
up to three years, with tuition, living
expenses and return travel all provided.
The official launch, which took place
in Abu Dhabi, was attended by Hussain
bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister
of Education, Shamma bint
Sohail Faris AlMazrui, Minister of
State for Youth Affairs, and Charles
Conn, CEO of the Rhodes Trust.
H.H. Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan
Al Nahyan, Founder of the Salama
bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation
commented: "The Rhodes Scholarship
was brought to the UAE by
Tamkeen, a Government of Abu
Dhabi company, which facilitated
the partnership between the Foundation
and Rhodes House.
Now, as benefactor of the RSUAE,
we are committed to raising awareness
of the program and actively encouraging
students from across the
UAE to apply.
''Through the Scholarship, we hope
the Foundation can provide access
to a life-changing international social
and educational experience to
promising young people in and from
the UAE, and to further support the
development of socially responsible
and ethical young leaders," she
added.
Established in 1902, the Rhodes
Scholarship is the world’s most
prestigious scholarship program,
committed to promoting academic
excellence and nurturing socially
responsible leaders in a range of
fields. The RSUAE, which before the
permanent endowment was known
as the Falcon Scholarship, is open
to students aged 19-25 who have
completed an undergraduate degree
at a college or university within
the UAE. Emirati students who have
completed their degree overseas
are also eligible to apply.
At Oxford, the oldest university in the
English-speaking world, the RSUAE
scholars will join more than 20,000
students from over 140 countries
currently studying at the University.
Nearly 8,000 Rhodes Scholars have
gone on to serve at the forefront of
government, business, the arts, education,
and research among other
sectors.
The Rhodes Trust has partnered
with the Salama bint Hamdan Al
Nahyan Foundation to provide Rhodes
Scholarships from the United
Arab Emirates. The aspiration is
to identify and support innovative,
energetic and ethical young leaders
globally. The addition of Rhodes
Scholars from countries such as
the UAE, seeking to be a key player
with an important international role
to play in the 21st century, marks a
substantial step in that direction.
UAE to facilitate sending tourists to space in future
The UAE is trying to create an environment in the space sector to facilitate sending tourists to space in future.
The regulations for space sector which are being put together will have all required elements to prepare the space
sector for tomorrow. This was announced by Dr. Mohammad Nasser Al Ahbabi, Director-General of the UAE Space
Agency on the sidelines of a ceremony held to announce the completion of the UAE Space Policy, which is the first
in the Arab world.
He said that technology to send
tourists to space does not exist. “It
is coming. We see some projects in
other countries. It may come very
soon.” He said regulations are very
important to facilitate space tourism.
“You can’t have space tourism
without space laws. We will address
this.”
For example, liability in the event of
a problem is determined by the law.
The UAE will issue laws regulating
the space sector within a few
months, he said. The laws will facilitate
the UAE’s ambitious Mars Mission
in 2020.
He said technology alone is not
enough for all space-related activities.
The laws are essential to undertake
all such projects. “We can’t
launch the Mars probe without (relevant)
laws.”
Once technology is available, regulation
is the important element to use
it, Al Ahbabi said.
He said the draft law was ready,
which would be submitted for approval
of the council of ministers
very soon.
He said the Mars probe was on track
and everything for the project was
being mobilized.
“We have now finished the design
and will buy the [required] equipment.
We are building facilities in
the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space
Centre [in Dubai].”
The probe will be launched from Japan.
Asked about the budget of the project,
he said a figure could not be
quoted given the possibility of unknown
expenses in space projects.
He said the agency expected eight
to nine per cent growth in the UAE’s
space industry in the current year.
“A study conducted by us showed
that we had double-digit growth last
year; it was the peak time,” Al Ahbabi
said.
About the UAE’s partners in space
sector, Al Ahbabi said the agency
had made partnerships with all major
space agencies in the world.
The agency announced the policy
that gives priority to space exploration
and related research and development
activities, satellite services
that will support telecom and
navigation sectors, and manufacturing
of satellites and related instruments.
Al Ahbabi said when an investor
comes to the manufacturing sector,
the agency facilitates all legal
requirements like license and try to
arrange a local investor if required.
102 Ain El Amarat