Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of Armed Forces, and within the framework of implementing the strategy of Khalifa Empowerment Program Aqdar endeavoring to enhance and empower young people and develop their capabilities to deal with challenges and positive response with them, in cooperation and partnership with Royal Military Academy Sandhurst In United Kingdom, the program launches the second round of "Empowering Future Leaders" initiative, which aims to recruit (150) male and female students and (50) candidates from military colleges from United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom during the period from 6/7/ to 27/8, which is intended for young men and women between the ages of 15 and 17 years.
In this regard, Lt. Col. Mohammed Al Harmoudi, general coordinator of Khalifa Empowerment Program, explained that the current round is a foundation course aimed at selecting the best talented from the final stage affiliates according to professional evaluation criteria that work to highlight the individual differences reflected in the different training areas that the program targets. Adding that this course, in principle, seeks to develop the candidates affiliated with the course, which has been established a number of conditions and controls so that an exceptional elite is chosen to complete the second phase in the United Kingdom. He pointed out that the first stage includes goals focused on developing their leadership skills and teamwork. In addition to consolidating the values of citizenship, affiliation, luxury and tolerance. And work to develop the capabilities of the participants in the work as a single team whose elements complement each other in achieving a common goal, enabling them to interact effectively with all groups and gain skills that enable them to thrive in the field of education, the workplace and society and contribute to achieving the vision of the Emirates 2071. He explained that at the end of the current round will be chosen The best candidates to participate in a future program at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, using professional assessment tools to select the top 40 students from various educational institutions and the top 10 military candidates for a two-week program at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in March 2021.
Al-Harmoodi also pointed out that this initiative came in line with the current data imposed by the Virus Corona pandemic (Covid-19), which strengthened training through virtual reality, which has become one of the most important training tools at the moment, noting that this type of training represents An added value by participating students attending seminars, workshops and activities on the Internet for up to 6 hours interspersed with breaks per day for 10 days. In the interest of the greatest benefit, students will be distributed in teams of 8 individuals, each with a specialized trainer throughout the program. The military training included in the program, which will be carried out by the trainers of St. Hirst Military College, is based on commitment to the military and security regulations adopted by maintaining discipline, adherence to uniforms and practicing positive military behaviors while staying in their homes during the period of implementing the training program.
For his part, Lt. Fahd Al-Hosani, Director of the Empowering Future Leaders Initiative in the "Aqdar" program, explained that the first phase of the second batch of the initiative includes an intensive and diversified development program for developing talented future leaders in the UAE and the United Kingdom through training sessions for individuals and teams, and consists of a set of training programs for personal skills development, self-development, innovative thinking, and leadership skills. Adding that these sessions are designed to help candidates to become more effective as individuals, members of teams and leaders of the future. It also includes military lessons that include basic military skills by Sandhurst experts and include: military values and standards, military leadership, navigation techniques and first aid. In addition to fitness sessions aimed at promoting a healthy way and healthy body culture, which is the key to support fitness and flexibility. This is through daily sessions designed to assess and develop personal fitness and discipline. The training program also includes planning voluntary projects, in terms of preparing for a youth volunteering project. The program will also allocate sessions for candidates by military colleges, where experts from Sandhurst College will provide sessions and meetings to transfer their military expertise and training to set scenarios and necessary military techniques for effective leadership in dealing with critical security situations. In order to enhance smart training, the Smart Aqdar Academy will represent an important role through which the participants will be able to understand the practical work of smart academy topics that include issues such as tolerance, happiness, positive energy, environment, citizenship, intellectual security and volunteering.
Also, at the end of the training program, participants will be entrusted, either alone or in teams, to prepare voluntary projects aimed at dealing with social issues of security, ethical or other aspects for practical training on leadership and behavioral skills that they have learned and assessing the extent of its impact in general through approved follow-up programs and assessment indicators by the Management of Khalifa Empowerment Program.