Professor James Arthur and Paul Watts met with Dr. Bushra Al Mulla, Director of Education and Social Affairs Department in the Prime Minister’s Office of the United Arab Emirates in Dubai, on Wednesday 21st February 2018. At the meeting, Prof. Arthur and Mr. Watts discussed strategy and policy in regard to character and happiness initiatives in UAE. They also met with a number of research analysts and officials from the Ministry of State for Happiness team and had detailed discussions about how the Jubilee Centre could assist the government in the UAE further develop the character strengths it seeks to promote in schools and wider society.
Professor Arthur and Mr Watts gave the first public lecture at the new University of Birmingham Dubai campus on character education, to an audience of school leaders. This was followed the next morning by a visit to the prestigious Sunmarke School, which uses the Jubilee Centre's curriculum in its teaching. Professor Arthur gave a talk on character building to the senior students in the school. James and Paul met with officials from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority to discuss how the Jubilee Centre might assist the Authority in utilising research tools to measure and evaluate character and happiness initiatives in Dubai. There is a desire in Dubai to establish a research centre dedicated to the study of character and virtue. James and Paul finally met with the International Positive Education Network team in Dubai, where Professor Arthur is a board member.