His Highness Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, may God rest his soul, is considered one of the most prominent figures in the educational renaissance of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Since assuming power in 1961, he laid the foundations for a modern educational path, based on his belief that building the individual is the cornerstone of building the state, and that education is the basis for comprehensive development and sustainable prosperity.
The features of the modern educational renaissance in the Kingdom of Bahrain began when His Highness Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, may God rest his soul, assumed power in 1961, when he placed human development and education at the heart of his national project, based on his belief that education is the foundation for achieving comprehensive development and sustainable prosperity.
The educational vision turned into institutional steps, represented by the establishment of the Higher Teachers Institute in 1966, the Higher Institute for Female Teachers in cooperation with UNESCO in 1967, and then the founding of the Gulf Technical College in 1968, which contributed to preparing national cadres and laying the foundations of higher, technical, and vocational education in the Kingdom.
The Kingdom of Bahrain continued to develop the fields of education and training in line with development needs. The Hotel Training Center was established in 1974 to support the hospitality and tourism sectors, followed by the College of Health Sciences in 1976 to develop health education and prepare specialized national cadres.
During the 1970s, the school network expanded and educational opportunities increased for various segments of society. In 1978, His Highness Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, may God rest his soul, affirmed that education plays a fundamental role in preparing good citizens qualified to actively participate in social and economic development.
The Kingdom of Bahrain has given great attention to the Arabian Gulf University, which was established in 1980 to be a distinguished scientific center in the medical, scientific and research fields, and to promote cooperation between the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in the fields of knowledge and human development.
The development of higher education culminated in the issuance of Decree Law No. (12) of 1986 establishing and organizing the University of Bahrain, as the first comprehensive government university of its kind in the Kingdom, and a center for preparing qualified national talents for the future.
Today, the legacy of His Highness Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, may God rest his soul, continues to be present in the national education movement through the institutions and initiatives that bear his name, most notably the Isa bin Salman Educational Charitable Trust.
The trust embodies the established values of science and knowledge set forth by His Majesty, and continues its mission of supporting outstanding students and researchers within and outside the Kingdom of Bahrain, and building the Bahraini individual capable of giving, excelling and contributing to the advancement and prosperity of the nation.
