UAE astronauts Hazzaa Al Mansoori and Sultan Al Neyadi wowed a packed auditorium of wide-eyed GEMS Education students yesterday when they gave an inspiring talk at GEMS Al Barsha National School, Dubai.
Students had an opportunity to meet Hazzaa in person as he highlighted the UAE’s space endeavours, opened up about his aspirations for the country and detailed how his life has changed since becoming a national hero.
Hazzaa became the first Emirati in space when he returned to Earth following an eight-day mission aboard the International Space Station in October last year. Today, his story serves as tremendous inspiration for youth in the UAE looking to achieve quantum leaps in the area of space exploration.
As Hazzaa stated during event, the most important lessons he has learned from his experience include the importance of extensive training and understanding different cultures, not to mention learning to live in a zero-gravity environment. His ultimate message to students was to encourage them to pursue their dreams of going to space.
The UAE’s exceptional achievements in the space sector are a clear sign that the future path of the nation is based on a robust scientific foundation. With the rise of the space and aviation sectors, it is now more essential than ever to give young people a head start.
Accordingly, GEMS Education recently launched five specialist Centres of Excellence aimed at blurring the traditional boundaries of school, university and employment, and creating a new pathway for students to learn and rapidly progress in identified areas of importance. One of these Centres, based at GEMS International School, Al Khail, focuses on aviation, aeronautics and space. Working in these sectors is no longer just a dream; it is becoming a reality for more and more young people.
