The UAE's Ministry of Education (MoE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Coursera, a renowned online learning platform, to create an innovative lifelong learning system.

Dr. Mohamed Ebrahim Al Mualla, Under-Secretary for Academic Affairs at the MoE, and Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera, signed the agreement during the World Government Summit (WGS) 2023 in the presence of Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, and other senior officials.

The MoU aims to strengthen the collaboration between the two parties in establishing local and international partnerships to facilitate credit-recommended content in the UAE. This collaboration will also assist higher education institutions in the UAE in developing credit-worthy micro-credentials. 

During the summit, Dr. Al Falasi said that lifelong learning is a key concept that the ministry seeks to apply in the UAE as an effective tool for enhancing personal capabilities and abilities. It enables people to prepare for and sustain the world's rapid changes, mainly in terms of technological progress and its impact on the labour market and lifestyle. Lifelong learning helps individuals boost their productivity by enhancing their entrepreneurial spirit and innovation, as well as teaching them additional skills that will help them advance in their careers. Also, he emphasized the importance of strategic partnerships with the public and private sectors in accomplishing the goal of improving the educational system in the UAE and establishing a knowledgeable society that increases the country's competitiveness in various fields.

According to Jeff Maggioncalda, the job market will be set for significant growth and transformation as the UAE continues to define itself as a hub for startups and multinational corporations. To sustain this change, the skill ecosystem must adapt and meet the requirements of the emerging economy. Focusing on career-relevant and flexible learning opportunities, with a substantial emphasis on micro-credentials, is critical to making this transition possible. Furthermore, he praised the efforts of the UAE to establish itself as a hub for startups and multinational corporations and conveyed his eagerness to support the MoE's vision of an innovative lifelong learning system that would establish the UAE's role as a global leader in talent competitiveness. 

The first edition of the Future Education Forum under the theme "Foreseeing the Future of Education" was organised by the MoE, where officials, thought leaders, and education sector experts conferred on ways to improve the educational system in order to satisfy future needs.

The MoU is an important step towards developing a cutting-edge system of lifelong learning by the Ministry of Education of the United Arab Emirates and Coursera. This collaboration will promote the creation of regional and global collaborations. This collaboration emphasizes the significance of online learning environments and their influence on the direction of education. It is admirable that the UAE's Ministry of Education is working to build a strong learning ecosystem, and their partnership with Coursera demonstrates dedication to ensuring that everyone has access to high-quality education.