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Emirati teacher youngest to work in govt college

DUBAI — At a time when the staff strength in UAE’s colleges is being dominated by Western and Asian expatriate teachers, UAE national Hind Yousef Al Youha has become the youngest local teacher in a government college.

In her early twenties, she is the youngest UAE national to teach at the Dubai Women’s College (DWC) and is even believed to be the youngest teacher in the country.

Hind, who tutors Bachelor of Business Administration students, is a former graduate from DWC’s Business Department.

Hind was also the youngest student in DWC. “My teachers did a great job inspiring me and it really paid off. They made me work harder everyday and I appreciate their approach since it made me the person I am today. Graduating from DWC and coming back to teach in the same department is an accomplishment for me and I plan to continue my path to professional development,” she told Khaleej Times.

She says that as a student she felt passionate about teaching and longed to become a lecturer.

Hind, who joined DWC in September, says, “I really enjoy teaching and find it extremely interesting to deal with students sometimes even older than me. It is very satisfying as I feel I am doing something for my community and I’m here for the love of the profession.”

She says she can relate well with students. “I can put myself in my students’ shoes and understand the problems they face,” she says, adding that her biggest challenge is “to prove to the community my competence.”

Hind believes that there is a lot to be learnt from the Western teachers in her college as they come with a lot of experience. “However, more locals should be encouraged to join the profession if they are interested in teaching,” she stresses.

Interestingly, Hind also works as the Manager of Corporate Performance in the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

When asked how she manages both the jobs, she says, “It isn’t hard.” In fact, she uses her practical experience in the corporate world to teach her students.

“Project Management is very important in Dubai, especially because the emirate has billions of projects and students have a lot of opportunities in the field,” she says.

In an attempt to increase its national employment rates, in general, and faculty positions, in particular, this year, DWC has employed five UAE nationals who teach Business, Information Technology and Arabic.

“It is a top strategic priority for us at DWC to employ high quality national faculty members who can present themselves as excellent role models for our students. Such role models make significant differences in the students’ perceptions and attitudes about professionalism, career planning, and their future responsibilities as decision-makers in Dubai,” noted Dr. Howard Reed, Senior Director at the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) and Director at DWC.

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