Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award to honour International achievements in knowledge

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 2, 2014: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF) has stated that its Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award initiative has been well received by the knowledge industry in the world. The Award, which will honor a global individual or institution for their contributions in the dissemination of knowledge, will be launched during the First Knowledge Conference, scheduled to be organized from December 7 to 9, 2014, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai

Organized by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF) on the theme ‘Empowering Future Generations’, the conference will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

“We are happy that the knowledge industry has warmly welcomed the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has been a role model and a source of inspiration by launching awards to encourage exceptional achievements, and this award is the latest of such initiatives,” said H.E. Jamal Bin Huwaireb, Managing Director of MBRF.

The Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award aims to raise awareness about the importance of the dissemination and transfer of knowledge as a means for sustainable development and prosperity of the peoples, as well as to encourage further initiatives and programs that contribute to dissemination, transfer and localization of knowledge around the world.

The First Knowledge Conference will also see the launch of two other major initiatives; the Arab Knowledge Index and Arab Knowledge Report 2014.

The Arab Knowledge Index is an indicator that monitors the status of knowledge in the Arab world on an annual basis. Taking into consideration the specific situation of the Arab region, the index includes a number of sub-indices in the economic, social and knowledge levels that indicate the progress towards knowledge based societies and economies.

These indicators include the number and effectiveness of colleges and universities, scientific research centers, the budgets allocated by governments for the development of scientific research, the number of patents registered annually, the extent of private sector involvement in supporting and funding scientific research centers, the evolution of the telecommunications infrastructure as a major tool of dissemination of knowledge, the number of books and translations issued annually, paper or electronic documentation efforts, and content development efforts in the mother tongue.

A joint initiative between MBRF and the Arab Bureau in the United Nations Development Programme, the Arab Knowledge Report 2014 is the third report in its series. It addresses important topics and sheds light on the status of knowledge in the Arab world, such as youth understanding in localization of knowledge transfer processes, the challenges of localization and transfer of knowledge in the Arab region. The report looks at the status of Arab youth and covers the required enabling environments to integrate youth as key players in the localization of knowledge transfer processes, and strategies for activating the participation of youth in deploying knowledge in sustainable human development.

Registrations to the First Knowledge Conference are open for individuals, government and private sector representatives as well as local, regional and international stakeholders in dissemination, transfer and localization of knowledge, who will be participating in the various panel discussions and workshops during the event.

For further information on the first Knowledge Conference, visit the conference website: fkc.ae