Educational Transformation in the United Arab Emirates

Brig. Gen. David Wagie, USAF (Ret.), Ph.D., president of St. Gregory University, Shawnee, Oklahoma, spoke at the June chapter luncheon. Gen. Wagie addressed the transformation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from an autocratic culture to a modernized regional powerhouse. Gen. Wagie, previously the dean of faculty at the United States Air Force Academy and a consultant to the UAE minister of education, said the UAE transformation relies heavily on its higher education system, placing a strong emphasis on science and engineering curriculum to bring its citizens into the global knowledge-based economy. The UAE is building an educational strategy that introduces the latest information technology at all levels, fosters extensive cooperation between public and private sectors and provides the ability for graduates to operate in an increasingly complex technological world and develop their leadership potential. The chapter also presented high school education grants to Lauren Swearingen, Carl Albert High School; Lauren Appleyard, Edmond North High School; and Joann Collins, Westmoore High School.

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