Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center Marks Distinguished Knowledge-Based Participation
Fatima bin Hareez: We Want a Generation That Moves Toward the Future While Knowing Exactly Where It Began
Dubai – September 2026:
The Research and Studies Department at the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center recorded a distinguished knowledge-based presence through its participation in the 12th edition of the “Education Interface” Exhibition, hosted at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi under the theme “Education and Family,” with the participation of 580 universities and educational institutions from the UAE and abroad.
The Center’s participation in an event that brings together education, family and the future of professions offered a complementary dimension to discussions surrounding the future of younger generations. It highlighted the importance of enabling students to keep pace with rapid developments in knowledge and technology while maintaining a strong connection to their identity, history and cultural heritage.
This year’s edition, held under the theme “Education and Family,” is aligned with the UAE’s designation of 2026 as the “Year of the Family.” It highlights the family’s role in supporting young people and guiding their academic and professional choices, while strengthening integration between families, educational institutions and the business sector. At the same time, the exhibition addresses future academic disciplines, artificial intelligence, innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as the changes these developments are bringing to the labour market.
Knowledge and Identity
Fatima Saif bin Hareez, Director of the Research and Studies Department at the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center, affirmed that participating in the “Education Interface” Exhibition provides an important opportunity to engage with students, families and academic institutions through a platform that brings knowledge and identity together. She noted that preparing for the future cannot be separated from developing balanced awareness among younger generations.
She said: “The question facing our children is no longer limited to what they will study, but extends to how we build their ability to make informed choices and how we provide them with a cultural and intellectual frame of reference that helps them understand their place in a rapidly changing world. We want a generation that moves confidently toward the future while knowing exactly where it began, because knowledge that opens new horizons becomes even more valuable when it is supported by a strong identity and an awareness of the history of the society to which one belongs.”
She added that the theme “Education and Family” sheds light on one of the most influential elements in shaping a student’s development, as many choices, perceptions and ambitions begin within the family before extending to school or university. She stressed that the relationship between families and educational institutions should not be limited to monitoring academic performance, but should also contribute to developing individuals who are capable of thinking independently, making sound choices and assuming responsibility.
Bin Hareez explained that the Center’s participation reflects its commitment to making historical and heritage knowledge accessible to younger generations and presenting it in a way that makes it a living part of their cultural development rather than material disconnected from their everyday lives, particularly amid the significant advances taking place in education, technology, artificial intelligence and the professions of the future.
Education in the UAE’s Memory
During the exhibition, the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center’s stand showcased a diverse selection of the Center’s latest research and heritage publications, alongside examples of historical documents recording different aspects and milestones in the development of education in the UAE. This offered visitors a window into some of the transformations the community has experienced in the fields of knowledge and education across different periods.
The displayed documents and publications provided an opportunity to explore the evolution of education from historical and social perspectives, linking today’s advances in academic programmes, disciplines and educational tools with the formative stages and transformations experienced by Emirati society.
In doing so, the exhibition offered younger generations a broader view of an educational journey that began with limited resources and has evolved into a forward-looking education system that keeps pace with some of the world’s most advanced fields.
Strong Visitor Engagement
The Center’s stand attracted significant interest and engagement from students, parents, researchers, and individuals interested in history, heritage and specialised publications. Visitors explored the stand’s collection of books, documents and knowledge-based materials, while also learning more about the work of the Research and Studies Department and its role in documentation, research and the production of knowledge-based content related to the UAE’s history and its cultural and social heritage.
This interaction also enabled the Center to connect with a broad segment of young people within an educational environment that brings together universities, academic institutions, experts and government entities.
It further created an opportunity for dialogue on the importance of sources and historical documents in examining the history of society and understanding the different stages of its development, thereby strengthening the presence of research and documentation within the contemporary knowledge landscape.