Paving the future
Nebras Education Holding, the education division of UAEbased Yas Holding, aims to empower learners and students to catalyse future growth
Future-centric education systems are a vital precursor to enterprising, knowledge-based economies. For countries to prosper, the importance of empowering and enabling flexible academic solutions cannot be understated, a notion that was thrust into the spotlight with the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, it is incumbent upon education providers to keep pace with evolving digital demands and realign their business models accordingly.
For UAE-based investment firm Yas Holding, which has diversified operations across several industries, the education industry holds immense potential for growth. Yas Holding’s education division - Nebras Education Holding, which develops education and learning technology solutions – is aligned with the group’s mission to underpin the country’s development through investments across the education space that would unlock future opportunities.
“As today’s education sector is constantly evolving, our mission is to empower students, learners, and educators alike with improved access to the latest technologies, products, and tools to deliver quality education and learning outcomes,” opines Suresh Vaidhyanathan, Yas Holding Group CFO. “We partner with the local government, semi-government, and private sector entities to prepare future leaders for the fourth industrial revolution and knowledge-based economy.
“Our portfolio of edutech-based solutions simplifies complex topics and offer tools that help students to learn, understand, and implement knowledge better. We deliver these solutions, platforms, and products through our specialised subsidiaries, including ITWorx Education, Ibtikar, and Second Step.”
Nebras aims to curate solutions that complement traditional learning methods and introduce an interactive learning experience tailored to students’ capabilities. Ali Jaber Al Yafei, divisional CEO of Nebras and United Technology Holding adds: “We strive to create diverse learning environments through our specialised edutech companies, working constantly to develop a range of educational platforms and solutions. These include a school management information system (TheSIS) by Second Step, social learning space (Winjigo), knowledge and training platforms (Learning Curve and Teacher Kit) by ITWorx, as well as a digital ebooks publishing and reading platform (Al Diwan powered by Akadimi) by Ibtikar.”
Last November, the company compiled its educational platforms and solutions in an integrated suite and launched LearningSpace, offering a comprehensive set of tools for educators aimed at accelerating digital transformation across public and private sectors. “We also collaborate with internationallyrecognised providers of educational content platforms to enhance our portfolio of offerings. These include Matific (a K-6 Math learning platform), Boclips (a curated and safe video learning platform), Nahla wa Nahel (an Arabic learning platform endorsed by the UAE Ministry of Education), and Jusoor (an interactive, virtual lab for science-based experiments),” Al Yafei adds.
In an attempt to underpin education providers, Nebras also partnered with several education institutions as well as the country’s education ministry to accelerate the ongoing digital revolution. Muhannad Abu Hassan, Nebras CEO, explains: “We develop strategic partnerships with the UAE Ministry of Education, as well as public and private education institutions, to help them respond to the ongoing digital revolution in the industry and enable them to accelerate their digital transformation.
“Educators face multiple challenges in the new reality of remote and blended education. In response, we invest in edutech innovations, develop education kits and reading platforms, and organise coding competitions to reshape our region and the world. We impart knowledge and expertise, empowering students to learn at their own pace anytime and anywhere through personalised learning,” adds Hassan.
“We strive to create diverse learning environments through our specialised edutech companies, working constantly to develop a range of educational platforms and solutions”