of the UAE working-age population uses AI.
Microsoft AI Diffusion Report, 2026
YOUTHCONNECT HUB × BRIGHTON COLLEGE ABU DHABI
The HumanEdge
Youth, Opportunity and the Future of Work
A one-day forum connecting young people with the distinctly human capabilities shaping learning, work and opportunity.
THE EVIDENCE
A changing route into work
Three signals behind a forum built for action, confidence and informed choices.
growth in entry-level roles requiring prior experience.
Stradaemployers identify analytical thinking as an essential skill.
World Economic Forum, 2025Full evidence links and the downloadable evidence brief will be added before registration opens.
WHY THIS FORUM EXISTS
The professions are growing while the entrances to them are narrowing.
Artificial intelligence is changing how early-career work is organised, assessed and accessed. Young people need more than information: they need real problems, industry voices, meaningful feedback and the confidence to act.
The Human Edge is a one-day forum designed to connect learning with opportunity and help participants recognise the capabilities that remain distinctly human.
FOUR SIGNATURE PROGRAMMES
A day designed for active participation
Every part of the forum turns conversation into something participants can use.
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01The Human Edge Showcase
A Brighton College Abu Dhabi-curated exhibition spanning Creative Arts, Computing and Robotics, and Design Technology, open throughout the day.
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02Solution Sprints
Teams respond to a pre-issued challenge, build a prototype and pitch it to a judging panel for written feedback and a route to the closing stage.
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03The Human Edge Diagnostic
A focused pre- and post-forum assessment that gives each participant a personal capability profile for future university applications.
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04Career Pathways Map
Counsellors and industry professionals help students make a pathway pledge, supported by a practical take-home sheet for parents.
THE FORUM EXPERIENCE
Ideas become conversations. Conversations become action.
A considered mix of stage moments, workshops and connections from the previous YOUthConnect forum.
PAST-FORUM HIGHLIGHT
See the room come alive
A brief glimpse of the conversations, questions and shared energy that shape the forum experience.
ONE FORUM, THREE PERSPECTIVES
Built for the people shaping a young person’s next step
For students
Prototype ideas, meet mentors, understand your strengths and build evidence of the capabilities that universities and employers increasingly value.
For parents
Explore labour-market evidence, subject choices, cost and return, and practical ways to support young people without increasing anxiety.
For educators & employers
Host a challenge, mentor or judge a team, contribute to curriculum conversations and help young people connect learning with real opportunity.
VOICES FROM BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Speakers who make the future feel real
The programme will bring together Emirati founders, engineers, recent graduates, technicians, tradespeople and near-peer contributors aged 19–22. Each panel will be focused, moderated and built around useful audience questions.
The 2026 speaker line-up will be announced in September.
2026 speaker category
Founders & innovators
Emirati founders and builders sharing how ideas become real-world opportunity.
2026 speaker category
Industry practitioners
Engineers, technicians and tradespeople making emerging pathways tangible.
2026 speaker category
Near-peer voices
Recent graduates and contributors aged 19–22 offering practical, relatable perspective.PROGRAMME CO-HOST
Brighton College Abu Dhabi
Brighton College Abu Dhabi is more than the venue. Its community and facilities help shape the exhibition zones, programme experience and connection between education and the world beyond school.
Presented byYOUthConnect HubProgramme co-hostBrighton College Abu Dhabi
Future generations will be living in a world that is very different from that to which we are accustomed. It is essential that we prepare ourselves and our children for that new world.
The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
SATURDAY, 3 OCTOBER 2026
Bring your curiosity. Leave with a clearer next step.
Registration will be free. Places will be limited and allocated by school. Register your interest now to receive programme and attendance updates.