Henkel Partners with Dubai Municipality to introduce its international education initiative in UAE

As part of its commitment to inspiring a passion for science in young children, Henkel launched its international education initiative, Forscherwelt (Little Researchers’ World), in the UAE through a strategic partnership with Dubai Municipality entity Children’s City.

The initiative aims to encourage children to explore the world of science and to make research fun. Forscherwelt helps familiarize children with the exciting world of science and research by allowing them to explore and understand technical and scientific processes through engaging experiments. The UAE is the first country in the GCC region where the initiative has been launched.

As part of the initiative, children will be able to conduct fun experiments related to Henkel’s businesses – adhesives, washing and cleaning, cosmetics, and sustainability. The ‘Forscherwelt-to-go’ concept will also enable Henkel to take the initiative to schools across the emirate.

Khalid Al Suwaidi, Acting Director of Leisure Facilities Department at Dubai Municipality, said: “This is one of the outstanding projects in the field of social service that work with the private sector to achieve the main objectives in the field of recreational education.”

“By hosting this project with Henkel, Dubai Municipality sees the unique scientific and educational value that lies in it, Therefore, we devoted all available resources to ensuring the success of the project and to achieving the most important goal of enhancing the skills of children in learning the scientific foundations of exploration and innovation,” he added.

Ashraf El Afifi, President of Henkel IMEA, said: “Through encouraging children to explore the world of science, and making research a fun and entertaining experience, we aim to instill a passion for scientific learning in them, potentially encouraging them to opt for natural science as a future career. With Children’s City being a natural fit for Forscherwelt, we are grateful for the support and guidance that Dubai Municipality has extended to the initiative through our partnership.”

He added: “The initiative aligns with the region’s transition to a knowledge-based economy and the objective of the National Agenda of the UAE Vision 2021 to promote innovation and R&D.”

Erdem Koçak, President of Henkel GCC, said: “Children are naturally curious and want to understand the world around them. They do so through observing their surroundings, experimenting in intuitive ways and asking questions. This is the essence of research, and we want to encourage the children of this region to explore the world of science and research through Forscherwelt.”

Established in Germany in 2011, Forscherwelt has been successfully implemented in Argentina, Russia, Ireland, Poland, Turkey and Italy. More than 15,000 children and young adults around the world have immersed themselves in research and conducted experiments through this initiative.