Research

In Burkina Faso, Dubai Cares supported a pioneering research initiative titled “Capitalising on Mass Media to Improve Early Childhood Development”, aimed at exploring how radio can influence caregiver behaviours that support early learning in low-resource settings. Delivered by Development Media International Associates (CIC), the study laid the foundation for a scalable ECD radio campaign.   The research included a nationwide survey of 960 mothers of children aged 0–3, alongside focus groups with mothers, fathers, and grandmothers. These efforts mapped current caregiving practices and gauged openness to improved interactions. The findings revealed critical gaps in age-appropriate stimulation, such as storytelling, singing, and drawing and offered insights to shape content, scheduling, and audience segmentation.   The results were published in BMJ Global Health (2019) and Global Health Action (2020), and featured in Dubai Cares’ Evidence Dossier, contributing to the global evidence base on media-driven ECD behaviour change. These insights informed the design of DMI’s subsequent SUNRISE cluster RCT, conducted with academic partners LSHTM, UCL, and IPA, and helped catalyse further investment in cost-effective, scalable solutions for early childhood development.  

This programme aims to establish a robust network of public–private partnerships across 15 national economies, with more than half representing developing countries. Its primary focus is to anticipate future skills demand and equip education and training systems to meet the evolving needs of today’s and tomorrow’s job markets. As part of this initiative, participating companies will be invited to make public, measurable commitments to train, upskill, and reskill both the current and future workforce.

As part of its commitment to UNICEF’s global Generation Unlimited initiative, Dubai Cares supported the development of the Digital Connectivity business case and research. The objective was to examine global challenges and bottlenecks related to connectivity and to produce a clear set of actionable recommendations for improving access. This work aimed to inform strategic efforts to close the digital divide and enhance connectivity for learning, especially in underserved communities.  

As part of Dubai Cares’ commitment to strengthening the knowledge base on how technology can be embedded into curriculum, and identifying scalable EdTech innovations for systemic impact, Dubai Cares is investigating how H-Farm’s EdTech model can be applied in development contexts. In order to build on Dubai Cares’ commitment to EdTech research, Dubai Cares worked with H-Farm to use the Dubai Cares Expo 2020 Dubai Pavilion as a platform through which to showcase how educational courses can be delivered through the use of technology remotely and non-remotely.   Within Zone 3.1 titled “The Future of Education” in the ground floor exhibition space of the pavilion, Dubai Cares showcased three immersive six-minute experiential virtual reality lessons developed by H-Farm and delivered through oculus quest headsets focusing on the topics of Space, Human Anatomy and Studio Art with the objective of raising questions, promoting dialogue and encouraging visitors to reflect on the future of education, its role in transforming the world, and how it can be promoted around the globe.   These lessons showcased for all visitors how technology can be leveraged to deliver quality experiential education that is ahead of the curve in preparing students for a prosperous future.    

Dubai Cares advanced the global conversation on education transformation through its thought leadership piece “Learning Ecosystems: Towards the New Paradigm”, which calls for a fundamental shift from fragmented, system-centric approaches to integrated learning ecosystems that prioritize people, planet, and prosperity. This work, developed under the Framework for Global Education Transformation and amplified through platforms like the RewirEd Summit and the Transforming Education Summit (TES), positions education as a dynamic, interconnected ecosystem rather than a linear system. The paper argues for collaborative, cross-sectoral models that leverage technology, partnerships, and lifelong learning pathways to equip learners with the knowledge, skills, and values needed for an uncertain future. It emphasizes collective leadership, connectivity, and data-driven decision-making as critical enablers, while advocating for inclusive governance and financing mechanisms that align education with sustainable development and climate resilience. By curating and promoting this paradigm, Dubai Cares has influenced global policy dialogues, informed TES national consultations, and provided governments and partners with a roadmap for reimagining education beyond traditional boundaries.

Through a rigorous randomised controlled trial (RCT) of the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Accelerated Education Programme (AEP) in Northern Uganda, this initiative set out to assess the effectiveness of AEPs in addressing critical challenges faced by out-of-school children and adolescents. The study examined multiple dimensions, including access to education for displaced and marginalised learners, the quality of teaching and learning outcomes, the inclusiveness of the programme for vulnerable groups, and the extent to which AEP participants successfully transitioned into formal education pathways. By generating robust evidence on these aspects, the research aimed to inform policy and practice on how accelerated learning models can bridge educational gaps in crisis-affected contexts.