Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Providing its students with valuable exposure to global institutions and cultures, Rabdan Academy recently completed a 12-day mission to South Korea.
For the academy — one of Abu Dhabi's leading institutes for safety, security, defence, emergency preparedness and crisis management — the outreach serves as a significant opportunity to boost global relations and learn more about best practices in the sector.
Samya Salem Al Saedi, Registrar and Acting Director of Student Affairs at Rabdan Academy, described such international missions as “powerful accelerators” that hones students’ practice skills and broadens their perspectives.
“While classroom learning offers a strong theoretical base, these missions immerse students in live environments where they see how advanced nations address the very challenges we study,” Al Saedi told Aletihad in an interview.
By engaging with top Korean institutions, Al Saedi said, the team explored “new developments in safety, security, defence, and resilience — areas that are at the very heart of our mission”.
Students who join such trips gain a global outlook, enrich their cultural knowledge, and learn the value of adaptability, she added.
For Maryam Ahmed Salem Hasan Alhammadi, a student taking up bachelor of science in Integrated Emergency Management, the visit to the South Korean Ministry of Interior’s Disaster and Safety Management Bureau and the National Cybersecurity Center was an eye-opener.
“We saw how advanced technology, real-time data integration, and strong inter-agency coordination can dramatically enhance national safety and resilience. Their AI-powered systems and centralised crisis dashboards enable rapid, well-informed responses to emergencies,” Alhammadi said.
The trip, she added, strengthened her skills in risk assessment and situational analysis, and deepened her commitment to "understanding how theoretical concepts translate into integrated systems that connect cyber, physical, and human elements to protect national security”.
Another student, Mohammed Ahmed Ali Binrabeea Alnaqbi, was impressed by how South Korea incorporates community engagement into its contingency planning — such as through an app that helps the public report hazards and locate nearby shelters.
“It reinforced the value of community participation in national safety when awareness is high,” Alnaqbi said.
A visit to the Korean War Museum also offered valuable historical and tactical lessons, he added. "Having the historical context paired with visuals and expert explanations strengthened my analytical skills and provided a richer perspective on modern defence planning.”
“These firsthand experiences are far more powerful than anything you can learn from a book,” Alnaqbi said.
Alhammadi encouraged future students to seize every opportunity to join international learning missions.
“Such trips open your mind, broaden your skills, and show you how shared knowledge can create real impact back home,” she said.
Al Saedi said the recent educational mission to South Korea showed how Rabdan Academy translates “its strategic vision into meaningful action”.
The academy’s long-term strategy “focuses on building enduring global partnerships, consistently benchmarking ourselves against the world’s most advanced academic and training institutions, and integrating the latest innovations and best practices into our educational model”, she said.
The impact of such visits reaches far beyond the participants, Al Saedi said. “We view such engagements not as isolated events, but as strategic investments that shape the future of our students, our institution, and the sectors we serve.”
The visit also opened the door to future collaborations with institutions such as Seoul National University, Korea University, and the Ministry of Interior and Safety.
According to Al Saedi, discussions are underway on joint research, student and faculty exchanges, and specialised training, with some already moving toward formal agreements.
“Our long-term vision is to expand these global academic missions, building a network of international partnerships that enrich our students’ education, elevate our institutional capabilities, and contribute to the UAE’s leadership in safety, security, and resilience on a global stage,” she said.
