Borealis renews its long-term commitment to UAE Educational & Social organisations at signing ceremony in Abu Dhabi
photo: Partnership Agreement between Borealis and Emirates Foundation signed by Alfred Stern, Borealis CEO & H.E. Ahmed Al Shamsi, Acting CEO Emirates Foundation.
Borealis announces a new round of support to three leading social organisations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2020. The support will be made available through the Borealis Social Fund. Founded in 2008, the Borealis Social Fund’s focus is on Education & Social Integration, with the express aim of enhancing the social welfare of the communities in which Borealis operates.
Three UAE organisations – the Emirates Foundation, the UAE Paralympic Committee, and the Emirates National Schools – will collectively receive a total of AED 3 million (ca. EUR 734,600) to help sustain the ongoing efforts of these social organisations. Borealis CEO Alfred Stern met with representatives of all three organisations at a festive signing ceremony held in Abu Dhabi on 28 January 2020.
“Since its creation over a decade ago, the Borealis Social Fund has been about caring for others in the communities where we operate,” says Borealis CEO Alfred Stern. “It has become an important conduit for promoting education and social integration – and thus social stability, as well. We see the Borealis Social Fund as an essential component of doing business in a responsible way, and are glad to be able to support the valuable work done by these organisations.”
Emirates Foundation and Borealis: an abiding partnership
The Emirates Foundation is a national organisation founded to facilitate public-private initiatives for the empowerment of youth in the UAE. It works with public and private sector partners to meet national goals and respond to society’s most urgent issues.
Within the framework of STI, or Science Technology Innovation, The Emirates Foundation launched the Think Science Program in 2012 to help unleash the full creative and innovative potential of UAE youth by encouraging them to pursue studies and careers in the STEM subjects – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
The Think Science Competition has empowered over 100,000 youth since its inception in 2012 and reached a total number of 18,000 contestants in its annual competition during that same time frame who developed and competed with more than 2000 innovative projects.
The Think Science Program has also graduated nearly 1,260 Think Science Ambassadors who were provided with opportunities to participate in local, regional, and international science knowledge exchange activities, that develops their knowledge and analytical thinking, and have gone on to represent the UAE and receive winning prizes at prestigious international forums such as the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Competition in the US.
“We are delighted to be renewing our partnership with Borealis. Our joint partnership with Borealis is a unique model which demonstrates the tangible impact that the private sector can provide and the untapped opportunities that must be captured and scaled up,” said Ahmed Al Shamsi, acting CEO of Emirates Foundation. “Such partnerships represent a critical part of our Youth Development model which is about solving social problems systemically and at scale. This requires more than just funding. By partnering with the private sector, we get access to technical input and also provide opportunities for youth to learn and connect directly with real life situations.”
Borealis and Emirates National Schools: the ties that bind
Since 2002, the Emirates National Schools has offered world-class educational programmes from kindergarten through grade 12 with the aim of equipping pupils with the knowledge and learning skills necessary to continue on with post-secondary studies. In the academic year 2019-2020, the Emirates National Schools has welcomed over 11,800 students attending one of five separate campuses, three of which are located in Abu Dhabi.
The school prepares its students to become leaders and responsible members of their respective communities by way of an innovative, character-building curriculum, and by using technology to improve learning outcomes. For example, the first ever Innovation Exhibition was held in 2019, with over 30 student projects on display. Another important event was the third annual Art Exhibition featuring a gallery of “Sustainable Art” in which students displayed over 300 works created using recycled materials. In addition to promoting creativity, the project aimed to encourage youth to reflect on the importance of sustainability in protecting national resources.
“The Borealis Social Fund has continued to be a great support for the educational progress of students at Emirates National Schools, and in achieving the planned goals of promoting the students’ academic achievements in public ways, such as via the art and Innovation exhibitions,” explains Dr. Kenneth Vedra, Director General of Emirates National Schools. “The fund has also supported technology and lab development, which was reflected in more teaching through live experiences and student innovation opportunities.”
Support to the UAE Paralympic Committee
The UAE Paralympic Committee, formerly known as the UAE Disabled Sports Federation, was founded as a national authority in 1996 to enhance awareness of the special needs of the disabled, and to encourage their active integration into society. The committee actively supports athletes regularly competing in a wide range of disciplines at international events, such as the 2012 Paralympic Games in London and the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The year 2019 was a successful one for the UAE athletes, who participated in 13 different competitions at varying levels – local, regional and international. In total they won 198 medals, of which 65 were gold, 67 silver, and 66 bronze. Most recently, the athletes participated at the World Para Athletics Championship at the new athletics stadium in Dubai in November, where more than 1,300 athletes from over 100 countries participated.
“Borealis, by way of the Borealis Social Fund, has been a valuable pillar of support for our athletes over the past years,” says H. E. Mohammed M. Fadhel Al Hameli, Chairperson of the UAE Paralympic Committee. “This year, the assistance is especially welcome as our athletes prepare for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. We’d like to express our thanks to Borealis for their steady commitment to the athletes in our community.”
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For further information, please contact:
Virginia Mesicek
Senior Manager a.i., External Communications
tel.: +43 1 22 400 772 (Vienna, Austria)
e-mail: virginia.mesicek@borealisgroup.com
