DUBAI // A team of Emirati schoolgirls is reaching for the stars after training at a space academy in Singapore.
The two hand-picked groups of 15 made up of 16 to 18-year-olds from the Al Mizhar American Academy for girls in Mirdif took part in four-day training courses in February and September.
The youngsters took part in the Space Academy Singapore Programme, which aims to promote science and engineering.
Aisha Almaazmi and her friend Khadija Galadari, both 16, were awarded the best cadet prizes during their trips this year.
“It was a fantastic experience to go to Singapore and learn about space travel,” said Aisha, who went in February.
Also attending the course were 15 girls from Singaporean schools. “At first we weren’t sure if we would get along, but I’ve made some really good friends during the trip,” she said. “It was great to see a different culture and meet people from different backgrounds.
“You realise that people are the same everywhere.”
Having been given a taste of science in space Aisha is now considering studying space engineering.
For Khadija, curiosity led her to sign up for the programme.
“I wasn’t sure if I was interested in space science but after hearing about Aisha’s experience I thought I’d see for myself and it was amazing,” she said.
“We did a lot of interesting things like learning how to control a rover and looking at the maths involved in getting something into space.
“You don’t realise all the work that is needed to get an astronaut into space and that was a real eye-opener. It really helps you to understand it from an astronaut’s point of view.”
During the course, the girls worked in teams to simulate real space experiences and develop their creative thinking in high-pressure situations. One such test was a cold weather extraction in a snow dome.
Dr Donald Thomas, a Nasa astronaut, who presented the girls with certificates at the school yesterday, believed projects such as the academy could help to bring more young people into sciences.
“The UAE now has a space agency and the plan is to send a spacecraft to Mars by 2021 and maybe some day these students will play a role in helping to achieve that goal,” he said.
“These kinds of programmes can help to play an important role in getting children interested in science and engineering, which is what we need to encourage.”
Hard work and persistence were the elements needed to achieve goals in life, he said. “I wanted to be an astronaut since the age of six,” he said. “When I joined Nasa, I tried three times to become an astronaut but was rejected.
“It was not until I was 39 that I was able to go into space on my fourth try. You should never give up on your dreams and work hard to get them.”
Bridget Justen, the school principal, said the programme allowed young female Emiratis a chance to meet and interact with their peers from Singapore. “Not only do they learn what it takes to be an astronaut or work on a space programme but it’s a wonderful chance for them to learn leadership skills and broaden their horizons,” she said.
The school may increase the number of pupils who go into the programme.
The trips were sponsored by the Dubai Land Department and supported by BFC Management.
nhanif@thenational.ae
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● Company: Bidzi
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
