ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Wednesday, May 7th 2014 [ME NewsWire]
Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior chaired the meeting of the Supreme Committee for the Khalifa Student Empowerment Program “Aqdar”, which was recently held at the Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters.
His Highness reviewed the achievements and initiatives implemented by the Khalifa Student Empowerment Program, at the Office of HH Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. He also gave his directives to unify national efforts and promote additional strategic plans, tasks, and national efforts in order to enhance school students’ awareness.
During the meeting, Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, launched the electronic game “Smart Aqdar City” with a view to promote national, traditional, educational, and health awareness; fight crime; transition from using education as a tool of indoctrination to smart learning through self-discovery and actual active practices; in addition to increasing awareness on drug abuse and risks and the dangers of fireworks.
The game is the third awareness project, which is being launched on Apple Store and Google Play; in pursuance of the integrated smart awareness program implemented by the Khalifa Student Empowerment Program.
His Highness lauded the efforts of the groups operating the Khalifa Student Empowerment Program, which include about 50 ministries, as well as federal and local authorities. He also stressed the importance of these awareness electronic games as an attractive and influential means on the youth, and includes several educational and national contents.
The meeting and inauguration ceremony were attended by Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazina, Commander-In-Chief of Dubai Police and Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Committee for the Khalifa Student Empowerment Program; Afra’ Mohammed Al Sabry, Assistant Undersecretary for Support Services (Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development); Saif Rashid Al Mazroui, Assistant Undersecretary for Support and Institutional Services (Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research); and Khawla Al Mualla, Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Policies Sector (Ministry of Education).
The meeting was also attended by advisor Rashid Salim Lakhrebani Al Nuaimi, Secretary General of the Federal Demographic Structure Council; Major General Matar Salim Ali Al Dhaheri, Chief of Administration and Manpower Staff (General Headquarters of Armed Forces); Major General Dr. Abdul Quddous Al Obaidly, Assistant Commander General of the Dubai Police for Quality and Excellence; Brigadier Ali Khalfan Al Dhaheri, Director - General of the Headquarters Affairs at Abu Dhabi Police; Ibrahim Al Abed, Director General of the National Media Council (NMC); Maryam Mohammed Al Rumaithi, Director General of the Family Development Foundation; along with a number of officials.
For his part, Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazina, Commander-In-Chief of Dubai Police and Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Committee for the Khalifa Student Empowerment Program, indicated that launching the “Aqdar Smart City Game” in the presence of H.H Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, reflects the attention dedicated by His Highness to these games, which have fulfilled the need for such local electronic games.
Major General Al Mazina also indicated that the games were designed by a specialized team of game designers, based on high-end global game engines. “The main goal was to design awareness-raising games that are compatible with different operating systems (such as Apple’s iOS System and Google’s Android system) different smart devices (iPhone, iPad, Xoom, Galaxy), as well as the Internet, social networking sites (Facebook) and computers (Windows and Macintosh),” added Major General Al Mazina. He noted that the game references national characters and contributors, with the possibility to change the characters. “The game can be upgraded based on scenarios established in cooperation with the National Commission, which are aligned with the country’s objectives and the national program. It also offers the possibility to add new levels, and is available in Arabic.”
He noted that this achievement reflects the actual need for student-oriented educational games, which include good educational content. To this end, electronic games were designed as part of the Khalifa Student Empowerment Program , to ensure students’ access to educational and ethical goals and values that promote patriotism, by acquainting students’ with the country’s history, institutions, achievements and potentials, and how to maintain these gains.”
Moreover, he indicated that the Khalifa Student Empowerment Program’s concept was part of an initiative launched by the Office of HH Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, which stipulated that a national program should be prepared to raise awareness among students, covering all academic levels and addressing the most common problems that may be encountered by students. The program involves all state institutions, through coordination with existing awareness programs.
For his part, Colonel Expert Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Al Dabal, General Coordinator of the Khalifa Student Empowerment Program gave a comprehensive presentation at the meeting, where he tackled the achievements and outcomes of the program, as well as the five initiatives that were recently achieved by the Khalifa Student Empowerment Program, notably the “Aqdar for Smart Games”, “Aqdar for Supporting Partnerships”, “I Aqdar Smartly”, “Aqdar for Community Leaders”, and “My Dream, My life”.
Colonel Al Dabal noted that the Smart Aqdar City game is a unique electronic game that seeks to achieve several goals. “It is the result of the integrated program for electronic awareness. It teaches children about healthy and unhealthy foods, and aims mainly to enhance national awareness by allowing players a cognitive linkage to heritage-related and historical vocabulary,” added Colonel Al Dabal.
Colonel Al Dabal explained that Smart Aqdar City is a virtual city with geographical features and classrooms for lectures in various fields, including an information gathering game through knowledge Dirhams and Treasures; it also includes written informative materials, as well as expressive photos and videos. Players can interact with others in a knowledge competition of 45 levels that include 10 questions each. Ranking will be decided based on the results.
Adding further, he said: “The game acquaints players with heritage and encourages them to maintain it. It also promotes health and nutrition education providing information about different types of food. It also contributes to developing personal skills, knowledge, attention, focus, and self-esteem, whereas children practice their favorite activities, and develop social interaction and communication skills in the process.”
Colonel Al Dabal added that the Smart Aqdar City game enhances national awareness on the need to combat crimes, especially cybercrimes; it acquaints individuals with optimal and positive use of modern technologies, while raising awareness about the risks of abuse and the dangers of drugs and fireworks. The game also provides training on first aid, the effective use of visual aids, academic and environmental excellence; and the art of time management. Additionally, it provides general information about different educational materials such as biology, geography, history, mathematics, literature, Islamic education and sciences; as well as religious information about integrity, the skills of treating others in light of the Biography of the Prophet, and the merits of the month of Ramadan and religious endowments.
“The educational content in the Smart Aqdar City game is based on providing a variety of reliable general, educational and scientific information that contributes to enriching and diversifying the knowledge of students across the city. The game establishes an important educational principle by enabling transition from using education as a tool of indoctrination to smart learning through self-discovery and actual active practices; , which would implant the knowledge acquired and make it more applicable in real life,” continued Colonel Al Dabal.
In conclusion, he noted that the game provides scientific information coupled with thrill, to prevent users from feeling bored and leaves them yearning for additional information. He described the game as a quantum leap in the way of presenting scientific and educational material to students in a forethought and innovative electronic method. “This would pave the way to the smart learning concept that we aspire to establish in school curricula,” he said.
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The Arabic-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the Arabic-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.
Contacts
The UAE Minister of Interior's General Secretariat, Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department
Abu Dhabi Police GHQ - Security Media
Chris Cron +971-(0)-50-987-1317
E-mail: cron.media@hotmail.com
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