His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Chancellor of UAE University, stressed that the100-Retreat, which was attended by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, embodied the keenness of His Highness on activating the declaration of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, who declared 2016 the Year of Reading.
His Excellency considered that this retreat, which brought together 100 participants from opinion and decision makers in various leadership positions in order to put forward distinguished ideas and initiatives, will make this national initiative a major platform and a leading national project through which we establish a solid base in the UAE, so that reading becomes an essential and interactive goal shared by everyone as the primary entrance to development, creativity and innovation, especially that the national institutions will be strategic partners in the development of plans and programs that enrich and support this initiative, by launching quality projects, initiatives, and activities aimed at the students, researchers, employees, families, and all segments of society, and that is through the ambitious strategic vision identified by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, through which he confirmed that the Year of Reading is a quantum leap in the society, and aims to nurture a conscious and reading generation able conduct scientific research, be creative and innovative, and actively participate in development, excellence, and responsibility.
His Excellency praised the 10-year plan that has been set, which represents a sufficient period of time to develop ideas and projects of reading at the national institutions concerned, in order to contribute to the preparation and building of a conscious, creative, and competing generation that contributes effectively in the accelerated civilizational development and growth in the UAE.
His Excellency stressed that reading is a fundamental foundation of building a knowledge and creative base that directly contributes to supporting the national program to keep up with the expectations of our government, which is always seeking to be first in excellence and leadership, and we must establish this culture in our society and national institutions through disseminating those aspirations and transforming them into strategic plans implemented on the ground.