The National Archives receives an academic visit from New York and George Washington Universities’ students
A delegation of students of social services studies from New York University “NYU” in Abu Dhabi and of art therapy studies from The George Washington University “GWU” undertook an academic visit to the NA premises. They got acquainted with aspects of the UAE’s ancient history and the memory of the nation preserved by the NA for future generations.
The NYU students accompanied their guest delegation from the GWU to the NA as it has strong and constructive relationships with academic institutions inside the UAE and abroad, and it provides students with knowledge relating to its great mission and patriotic objectives. This is in addition to the scientific benefit gained through learning about the UAE society's customs and traditions, and aspects and events of the UAE history and the establishment of its blessed union. During the visit, H.E. Dr. Abdulla Mohamed Al Raisi, the NA Director-General, received the students of both universities and briefed them about the NA’s efforts and preparations for hosting the ICA Congress 2020 in the UAE, through which the UAE will be the first Arab state to host this significant historical event where archiving and documentation experts, specialists, and officials from various countries worldwide shall meet.
His Excellency provided them with important information about the NA and its journey that has extended for about half a century through which it has provided intellectuals with its publications that combine authenticity with contemporaneity, and heritage with modernity, apart from its working on archiving and documentation. This is in addition to its role in collecting, documenting and translating invaluable historical materials relating to the UAE, in particular, and the Gulf region, in general. It has also conducted and published specialized historical researches as well as hosting and participating in local, regional and international conferences and symposiums. This is along with its efforts in organizing exhibitions relating to the UAE and contributing to the national education of students through its educational programs.
The delegations of the two established universities took a tour of the NA premises where they visited the Customer Happiness Hall and were briefed on its functions including receiving researchers. To this end, the hall was supplied with facilities to help visitors with their research-work on the heritage and history of the UAE and Gulf region utilizing the NA historical documents. The hall was carefully designed to create a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere for researchers. It was also furnished in a convenient way to motivate visitors to spend a long time searching among the NA’s treasures including historical documents, maps, photographs, and multimedia that can only be found in the NA.
Students expressed their admiration of the Customer Happiness Hall, which achieve its role, and functions as other similar halls at the most advanced international archives; as it receives and provides researchers with scientific research mechanisms and computers through which they gain access to archival material and documents. This is in addition to offering the facilities of photocopying and scanning of documents and maps. The hall provides a relaxed research friendly atmosphere as it is located close to the library so that a researcher can simultaneously access any references, resources or historical documents needed for his/ her research.
The visit included a tour of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Hall which contains samples of manuscripts, photographs, maps and electronic albums of the UAE’s leaders and its most prominent figures of the modern era, depicting the story of the establishment of the Union, the foundation of its first cabinet and the selection of the federation flag.
The visit also included a tour of the Emirates Library where students of both universities viewed its main contents whether hard or electronic copies of references and resources, books, periodicals, specialized theses and were briefed as well on how to utilize its acquisitions. In Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Virtual Reality Hall, students watched a 3-D documentary film on the past and present of the UAE, and the National Archives and its role in preserving the memory of the nation.
