Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (WAM)
Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the National Media Authority, affirmed that investing in media and education is an investment in society’s ability to understand change, develop innovative solutions, and combat misinformation.
He noted that sustainable development is built on educated minds, professional media, and a society that participates consciously in the journey of development and achievement.
Speaking during a fireside chat titled “Education and Media: Who Influences Whom?,” at Emirati Education Forum 2026: moderated by Dr Sultan Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Director General of the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR), Al Hamed stated that the National Media Authority is open to strengthening integration with educational institutions and directing media capabilities toward supporting knowledge, broadening learning opportunities, and developing the skills of future generations.
This approach aligns with the UAE’s vision of preparing generations that take pride in their identity, remain open to the world, and possess the capabilities needed to compete and contribute to shaping the future.
He added that achieving this integration requires sustainable institutional partnerships to develop media content that brings science closer to students, stimulates their curiosity, and connects theoretical knowledge with practical applications.
It also requires fostering media literacy and developing skills in information verification, analysis, and critical thinking, thereby strengthening future generations’ ability to engage thoughtfully and responsibly with digital platforms.
He emphasised that the wise vision of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan provides the ideal framework for understanding the relationship between media and education. His Highness has stated that “education is the foundation of development and the spirit of progress” and that “national media is an essential partner in the UAE’s developmental and civilizational advancement.”
His Excellency explained that the concepts of a “foundation” and a “partner” are not in competition; rather, they complement one another in developing people, who are the ultimate purpose of all development. He noted that the question “Who influences whom?” assumes a competition that does not exist in reality.
He explained that education builds the mind and provides individuals with a compass, while media shapes the information environment and draws the map. He pointed out that students today may spend more hours in the media environment than they do in the classroom.
This reality necessitates a genuine partnership in which education establishes ways of thinking, while media tests those approaches and broadens their horizons.
The Chairman of the National Media Authority added that the more important question is not which side influences the other, but how the two can work together to prepare individuals who think independently and verify information.
He stressed that education that nurtures questioning and analysis, rather than relying solely on rote learning, gives students strong intellectual resilience against misinformation and media-driven polarisation.
He explained that transforming the relationship between media and educational institutions into a genuine partnership requires responsible, professional communication that helps address challenges and present solutions.
He noted that when the media reports educational achievements objectively, it strengthens public trust. Meanwhile, when educational institutions engage openly and transparently with the media, they create opportunities for an effective partnership founded on cooperation and mutual understanding.
He also emphasised the importance of involving families, describing them as the link between education and media.
He affirmed that trust will be the scarcest currency over the next decade, making it essential to develop students’ ability to distinguish credible information from unreliable content and verify facts, beginning in the classroom. This will enable students to take ownership of their intellectual decisions and confront media misinformation.
Looking ahead to the future relationship between the two sectors in the age of artificial intelligence, the Chairman of the National Media Authority predicted that, within ten years, the boundary between the classroom and the screen would gradually disappear.
Every piece of media content could become a learning opportunity, while every educational curriculum could be communicated in a language suited to the modern era.
He explained that as artificial intelligence becomes capable of answering a wide range of questions, the value of schools will shift from simply delivering information to cultivating understanding and wisdom. He added that understanding algorithms and verifying AI-generated content would become essential skills for every learner.
He concluded his participation in the session by emphasising that keeping pace with this new era, in which artificial intelligence makes knowledge accessible to everyone, requires a shift away from measuring what students memorize toward assessing their ability to analyse, innovate, verify information, produce knowledge, and apply it responsibly.
This shift,he added, must go hand in hand with a media sector that stimulates curiosity and critical thinking, brings science closer to society, highlights Emirati talent and expertise, and connects knowledge with the challenges of national development.
