The first edition of the HCT’s unique biennial Festival of Thinkers (FOT) conference was inaugurated in November 2005.
The conference is designed to provide an opportunity for students, young leaders of leaders, to interact formally and informally with, and learn from Nobel Laureates and the world’s leading thinkers in business, science, technology, culture and economics.
The conference’s underlying philosophy is to encourage promising youth to inspire, innovate and collaborate. FOT is a unique forum for students, global leaders and thinkers to use constructive and lateral thinking while exploring potential solutions for the world’s challenges in an interactive format.
The purpose of the Festival is to discuss ways and means of fostering creativity beyond cultural boundaries at the scientific and social level by encouraging participants to work together using constructive and lateral thinking while designing possible solutions for the world’s challenges.
The FOT philosophy was summed up by H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research in the UAE and Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology: “The Festival of Thinkers is based upon the premise that the bringing together of promising students with some of the world’s recognised leaders in innovation and creativity will enrich both groups and lead to an even brighter future for our global society.”