AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering and design consultancy, came together with Aldar Education to sustain future?focused learning for students across the UAE during a period of distance learning. Through School of the Future, AtkinsRéalis’ flagship education–industry programme, this collaboration reinforced the importance of continuity, resilience and long?term investment in the next generation of learners.

Built on the belief that strong communities are supported by resilient education systems, the programme adapted its delivery while keeping its focus firmly on collaboration, problem?solving and applied learning. More than 20 schools successfully continued delivering School of the Future during this period, ensuring students remained connected to real?world, industry?informed learning rather than allowing participation to pause.

Aldar Education schools played a leading role, providing consistent teacher support, sustaining student engagement and delivering fully virtual finals events that enabled students to present their ideas and celebrate their achievements, despite the absence of physical classrooms or stages. Students continued working in teams, developing solutions linked to challenges such as water scarcity, sustainability and long?term capability, while building essential future?ready skills.

“This programme reflects who we are, both as a company and as a part of the communities we serve,” said Campbell Gray, CEO, AtkinsRéalis Middle East. “Even during a period of uncertainty, we stayed the course by supporting educators and students alike and continuing to invest in the next generation of talent. School of the Future is built to help young people develop the skills and confidence they need to shape solutions to the challenges of tomorrow. In a region that is evolving at pace, developing these skills matters now more than ever.”

Across the programme, students worked together online, navigating technical and personal challenges, demonstrating creativity, teamwork and problem?solving skills under unfamiliar conditions. For many students, the programme provided structure, momentum and a sense of purpose at a time when normal routines were disrupted.

“School of the Future has enabled students to remain engaged and focused despite evolving learning environments,” said Danielle Rooth, Group Head of School Improvement at Aldar Education. “Through thoughtful adaptation in delivery, our educators ensured that students continued to collaborate effectively, develop their ideas, and present their work with confidence. The programme underscores the importance of learning that is practical, relevant, and firmly grounded in real-world challenges.”

As organisations across the region look to strengthen talent pipelines and share best practices, School of the Future offers a clear example of how education–industry partnerships can sustain learning, equip students with future?ready skills and contribute to longer?term capability building well beyond the classroom.

For more information about the School of the Future, please visit: https://www.atkinsrealis.com/en/engineering-better-future/beyond-engineering/school-of-the-future

About AtkinsRéalis

Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services and nuclear company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world’s infrastructure and energy systems. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset, including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital. Learn more at www.atkinsrealis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

About School of the Future initiative

School of the Future is an education–industry program developed by AtkinsRéalis to help secondary school students explore critical sustainability challenges facing the UAE and the world.

Working in teams, students examine real?world challenges linked to water scarcity, climate resilience, sustainability and infrastructure planning. Supported by teachers and guided by industry insight from AtkinsRéalis professionals, students develop practical solutions while building essential future?ready skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, digital collaboration and presentation skills.

About Aldar Education

Aldar Education is Abu Dhabi’s leading private K-12 education group and one of the UAE’s most established education providers serving over 31,000 students across a network of 27 schools, delivered by educators from more than 100+ nationalities. Guided by the UAE’s vision for a sustainable, knowledge-based economy, Aldar Education combines scale, expertise, and a distinctive ecosystem of schools and strategic partnerships including collaborations with world-renowned institutions to bring advanced programmes and innovative pedagogies to the UAE.