'Human resources' key

Building human capacity is the key to securing long-term development and prosperity in the UAE, says Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, right, greets KAIST faculty after receiving an honorary diploma.

SEOUL // Building human capacity is the key to securing long-term development and prosperity in the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, said yesterday. "Human resources is the most important source of modern and sustainable development," Sheikh Mohammed said during a meeting with Chung Un-chan, the prime minister of South Korea.

"Building human capacities holds the seeds of prosperity and development for any nation that seeks them," Sheikh Mohammed said. Sheikh Mohammed yesterday ended a three-day visit to South Korea where he had met the president Lee Myung-bak and visited nuclear power plants in the southern part of the country. During the meeting with Mr Chung, also attended by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed stressed that his visit had "opened new horizons ahead of us for various new investments".

Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohammed was awarded an honorary doctorate of science and technology by KAIST University. "Your vision to establish a nuclear power industry when most oil-producing nations simply depend on oil and your vision to increase the number of scientists and engineers ? have not only affected the people of the UAE, but also the thinking of ? people throughout the world," Nam Pyo Suh, the university president, told Sheikh Mohammed.

KAIST, formerly known as the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, is one of South Korea's leading higher-education institutions. "Sheikh Mohammed is a pioneer in developing education," Abdullah al Maainah, UAE ambassador to Seoul, said after the ceremony. "He is interested in the Korean education system because Korea is a technologically developed country and it's a major state in terms of its experience in this field."

@Email:[e-mail]