A number of members of the Dubai Media Incorporated Youth Council participated in the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy Strategic Dialogues Programme, organised by the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy during an official visit to Italy and France, aimed at supporting international dialogue and broadening the horizons of cooperation with intellectual and academic institutions and decision-makers in Europe.
The council participated in the visit — which included a UAE delegation of experts, academics, and specialists — in its capacity as media partner to the programme, reflecting Dubai Media Incorporated's commitment to empowering young national talent and providing them with opportunities to learn from international experiences, understand global shifts, and engage with them with awareness and competence, while enhancing their professional and intellectual capabilities.
The programme included a series of meetings with a select group of decision-makers in Italy and France, as well as visits to the UAE embassies in Rome and Paris and a number of European academic institutions and research centres, with the aim of building bridges of communication, exchanging views and ideas on a range of regional and international issues, exploring opportunities for cooperation in the fields of public policy, strategic studies, and international relations, and learning about best practices across various vital sectors — all of which supports the country's efforts to strengthen its positive image and consolidate its standing as an effective and influential partner on the global stage.
Abdulaziz Al Jasmi, Chairman of the Dubai Media Incorporated Youth Council, noted the organisation's commitment to providing quality opportunities for young people and involving them in international initiatives and programmes that contribute to developing their professional and intellectual capabilities, enabling them to represent the UAE, its values, its development experience, and its future vision.
"The participation of the Dubai Media Incorporated Youth Council in the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy Strategic Dialogues Programme embodied Dubai Media Incorporated's commitment to empowering youth as the pillar of the future and the nation's true wealth and strength, and the necessity of preparing them to contribute effectively to the journey of comprehensive development — by giving them the opportunity to engage with global expertise and take part in international dialogues that enhance their knowledge, broaden their horizons, and support their readiness to deal with rapidly accelerating change," he said.
He added: "The programme was a rich intellectual experience that gave us the opportunity to explore diverse international models in the fields of thought, media, and policy-making, and contributed to broadening our openness and understanding of the issues and transformations shaping the global landscape today.
It also gave us a broader vision of the role that media plays in building bridges of communication between peoples, and affirmed the importance of dialogue and the exchange of knowledge in promoting mutual understanding and rapprochement between societies."
Musab Al Raeesi, a member of the Dubai Media Incorporated Youth Council, noted that this experience represented a qualitative addition to his professional journey, and afforded him the opportunity to explore diverse international models in the fields of thought, media, and policy-making.
"The programme was a rich intellectual experience that allowed us to learn about the working models of leading intellectual and academic institutions in Europe, and to understand the role that research centres play in supporting decision-making and guiding public policy. The meetings and discussions held throughout the programme also gave us the space to understand the political, economic, and social transformations the world is witnessing today," he said.
He added: "This experience contributed to broadening our horizons and deepening our awareness of the importance of dialogue, the exchange of knowledge, and international communication in promoting understanding between cultures. It also gave us a clearer vision of how to harness expertise and knowledge to develop institutional performance and contribute to anticipating the future."
Hanan Al Balushi, a member of the Dubai Media Incorporated Youth Council, noted that participating in the programme gave her the opportunity to represent the UAE and highlight its values of openness, tolerance, and cooperation, reflecting the role of youth in promoting dialogue and communication between cultures.
"This visit gave us a distinguished opportunity to interact with a select group of experts, academics, and decision-makers in Europe, and to learn about diverse experiences in the fields of thought, public policy, and international relations. The dialogues in which we participated formed a rich space for exchanging views and ideas on global issues, which helped deepen our understanding of the importance of international cooperation and the role of dialogue in cementing understanding between peoples," she said.
She continued: "This experience enhanced our awareness of the importance of cultural diplomacy as a bridge for rapprochement and the building of relations between societies, and contributed to broadening our professional and intellectual horizons. It gave us a deeper understanding of the importance of openness to global experiences and drawing on them to develop our capabilities and our vision for the future."