Bahraini talent Dr Ahmed Alabbasi has been honoured with the Emerging Scholar Award by a prestigious global institution that recognises early-career scientists who have earned a doctorate in the fields of giftedness and creativity within the last 10 years.
This is the first time the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC) has decided to grant this award to a scholar from outside the US.
The Arabian Gulf University (AGU) Education, Administrative and Technical Science College vice dean was recognised for his achievements, alongside Australia-based award-winning researcher Dr Michelle Ronksley-Pavia, who specialises in Special and Inclusive Education.
Dr Alabbasi
The duo will take part in a keynote panel discussion at the World Conference to be staged in Braga, Portugal, from July 29 to August 2. More than 500 participants from 40 countries are expected to attend the event and share ideas and research in the field of gifted studies and talent development.
The theme of the conference is ‘Celebrating Excellence in Gifted Education Scholarship: A Discussion with the 2025 Emerging Scholar Awardees’.
Gifted education and creativity focuses on providing specialised learning experiences for students identified as having exceptional intellectual or academic abilities.
Headquartered in the US, WCGTC is the oldest international institution in the field, providing advocacy and support for gifted children. It has an active membership of educators, scholars, researchers, parents and others interested in the development and education of gifted and talented children of all ages.
“I dedicate this humble achievement to my country, Bahrain, which continues to support its young talents,” Dr Alabbasi, who has completed his doctoral studies in Gifted and Creative Education from Georgia University in the US, said, on receiving the honour.
“I also dedicate it to His Majesty King Hamad, who constantly emphasises the importance of investing in promising young minds through visionary government initiatives led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and Prime Minister.
“I also extend my gratitude to the leadership of AGU, especially university president Dr Saad bin Saad Al Fuhaid, for his unwavering support of faculty members and his encouragement of impactful scientific research that addresses strategic issues of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries across various disciplines,” he added.
Over the past few years, Dr Alabbasi, who has also earned executive certificates in leadership and innovation from Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, has published more than 60 research papers and book chapters in internationally peer-reviewed journals.
He ranks among the top 96 per cent of researchers in the field of giftedness and creativity, according to global platform Research Gate, and is the only Arab scholar to have contributed to the third edition of the Encyclopedia of Creativity published by Elsevier.
Dr Alabbasi’s research spans a wide range of topics, including innovation, emotional intelligence and women’s issues, in addition to giftedness and creativity.
The recognition comes at a time when AGU is strongly committed to advancing scientific research and fostering a supportive environment for researchers and scientists.
AGU has ranked as the top institution in the kingdom and among the top 500 universities globally in the latest Times Higher Education ranking; scientific research contributes to 60pc of the ranking score, with 30pc attributed to research outputs and another 30pc to a supportive research environment.
According to the Scopus database, AGU faculty have published 2,957 research papers, aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals that were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
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