Technology has become firmly established in society and is widely used in all sectors of the economy. This is especially true in education, where technological advancements provide children of all ages with resources that enable engaging and interactive learning experiences and help them stay connected. However, it is also the responsibility of users to strike a balance between mastering technology and avoiding dependency.
Alef Education has significantly improved learning outcomes and supported students worldwide using the right technology. In addition, the EdTech company emphasises student well-being by providing guardians with practical strategies to manage their children's screen time effectively, which is especially important since excessive screen time has several adverse effects on children’s development.
According to Norton’s My First Device Report, children use networked mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, an average of two and a half hours a day. As children get older, this use increases, underscoring the need to manage screen time. Prolonged screen time can significantly affect children's cognitive, social and emotional development. Due to this, guardians actively seek ways to instil positive digital habits in their children, turning to techniques and tools to help them achieve this goal.
However, it is important to point out that screen time can benefit children. When used correctly, it promotes intellectual growth and creativity. Various educational websites and apps for children provide valuable learning experiences. At the same time, video conferencing and virtual classrooms have proven to be practical tools to foster peer collaboration and facilitate student-teacher interactions. Alef Education addresses this need by utilising cutting-edge innovations like artificial intelligence and machine learning to deliver high-quality, personalised learning experiences to every student.
Geoffrey Alphonso, chief executive of Alef Education, said: “In today’s digital age, technology is a double-edged sword. This remarkable tool holds significant potential for enhancing learning experiences, but it can also be a source of distraction and dependency. At Alef Education, we believe it’s important to strike a balance between technology and healthy child development. Using the right technology, we empower students worldwide while emphasizing their holistic development. Our approach includes a product portfolio that provides student-centred, adaptive learning experiences that cultivate creativity and develop critical thinking. We believe that technology can be a force for good in the world, and we are committed to using it to help children reach their full potential.”
Alef Education promotes healthy digital practices and appropriate screen time for students as part of its commitment to fostering digital well-being. Its curated digital content helps students improve their imagination, problem-solving, and analytical skills while using technology as a catalyst. The company actively supports the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4, which ensures inclusive and equitable access to quality education for all members of the community. Through active participation in initiatives such as the Expo2020 Global Best Practice Programme, Alef Education has aligned with its mission to promote social development through education.
The Alef Guardian app is one such product that promotes balanced screen time and healthy child development by encouraging learning moments at home with parent-child activities. A study conducted by Alef Education's data and research team found that guardians who are more engaged in their child's learning positively impact their child's academic performance. Based on these findings, Alef Education is developing a new app feature: integrated parent-child activities to promote kinesthetic learning and increase the reach and impact of classroom instruction. These activities help cultivate positive habits by encouraging children to share their learning.
Dr Aishah Al Yammahi, the board advisor at Alef Education, emphasised balancing screen time with other important activities for a child’s holistic development: “We know how important it is to have real-world activities, face-to-face interactions, and offline learning experiences alongside technology that contribute to children’s overall well-being. Alef Education is dedicated to empowering families to find that balance between technology and child development. Alef Education remains committed to implementing effective policies that foster collaboration among students, teachers, and guardians while facilitating learning.”
Parents can take various steps to promote a healthy balance in the use of technology, such as setting clear limits, i.e., deciding when and how long their children can use technology. These limits should be communicated clearly and consistently. Encouraging active screen time is equally important, as it motivates children to engage in activities rather than passively consume media: adults at home can help children develop digital content, play interactive educational games, or explore creative applications.
Prioritising real-world activities is critical to a healthy balance of technology. The time a child spends in front of a screen must be balanced with other activities, such as outdoor activities, physical activities, social interactions, and other non-screen hobbies. Helping children discover and engage with high-quality, age-appropriate content is even more crucial. Parents can take the necessary precautions by helping their children explore reputable websites, educational apps, and platforms that offer insightful and culturally relevant content, thus using technology to enrich learning.
Alef Education aims to inspire young people to think critically, express themselves creatively, and realise their full potential in a rapidly evolving digital environment. This is made possible by its state-of-the-art digital learning solutions, designed to ensure digital well-being and be an essential part of a child’s daily routine to ensure holistic development in the digital age.
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
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