The third edition of the “Political Awareness Forum for University Students” was be launched under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, on Monday November 10th for two days, at the headquarters of UAE University in Al Ain. Organized by the “Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs” to promote a culture of political awareness in the UAE society in general and among college students in particular.
His Excellency Tariq Hilal Lootah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs, stressed that this Forum is part of a series of initiatives and programs carried out by the Ministry in collaboration with stakeholders to strengthen the political culture in the state, and represents a platform to share discussions on a number of important issues related to political development.
The axes of third edition of the forum are strongly connected to its goals, and prepare the ground for the Federal National Council (FNC) elections in 2015; therefore it covers procedural aspects as well as key topics such as the role of Emirati women and the role of traditional and social media in the elections. It will also highlight role of formal and informal institutions in the elections of the (FNC).
The forum consists of six sessions held over two days. The first sessions is titled “FNC Elections – procedural and substantive aspects,” while the second session addresses the organization of election campaigns.
The third session is on the topic “Women and the Elections – a practical experience to participate in the Federal National Council elections”. The 4th session is on “Women and the Elections – assessing the experiences of women in the elections of 2006 and 2011”, while the 5th session will focus on “The role of traditional media and the social platforms in the FNC election”, and the last session is on “The role of formal and informal institutions in the Federal National Council elections”. In addition, the closing session will cover the discussions that took place over the two days and declare the final recommendations of the Forum.
Dr. Ali Rashid Al Noaimi, Vice Chancellor of UAE University, said that the students are the future of the nation, and they must carry the message, and to have a comprehensive political awareness and realize the importance of their role, understanding that they are the social component of future and the image of the present and future which we look to, the students should take these responsibilities and counter attempts to target our national achievements, in addition to participating effectively in national political life and in the presence of political transformations and challenges in the world in general and our Arab region in particular.
