As part to its activities to mark its seventh anniversary, TRENDS Research and Advisory hosted His Excellency Maqsoud Kruse, Strategic Communications Advisor at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, in an open discussion session held on Monday September 7, 2021 under the title “Life is a Plan”. The session was attended by researchers and members of TRENDS Council for Young Researchers.

At the beginning of the session, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS Research and Advisory, welcomed His Excellency, thanked him for his participation and praised the enlightened insights he offered and their value as guidelines for the young people in their personal and professional lives.

The discussion session focused on the contents of the “life briefcase”, which comprise four key elements: the life map, planning, determination and genius vision. Mr. Kruse explained these in detail in an interesting and interactive way, with participants asking various relevant questions.

Mr. Kruse said that young people are the source of happiness; they are positive, inspiring and capable of giving, persevering and challenging. He added that it always feels great to be able to meet young people and be inspired by their positivity, happiness and hope for a better future.

He noted that the session title, “Life is a Plan”, is very important for young researchers, and went on to say: "remember that you are first and foremost a thinking person; you decide your life path, your direction and your career. We always start with an end in our mind.”

Mr. Kruse indicated that the life map has two components: mental inactivity and mental activity. As far as mental inactivity is concerned, he stated that our understanding of life laws and principles is the main driver of the research process. However, digital modernity has caused us severe mental laziness and created huge digital content with little knowledge value.

He added that empirical studies and research have proven that various psychological horoscope analyses have absolutely no scientific value; life goes according to a plan, and everyone needs to be mentally active to be able to determine their life in terms of career steps by adopting a methodology and making decisions that shape their future life directions.

Regarding the second component (mental activity), Mr. Kruse stressed the need for young researchers to use their intellectual capacities to create mental activity. He explained that the entire universe should be subject to constant research and analysis by the researcher that demonstrates deep and thorough thinking.

To achieve the desired level of mental activity, Mr. Kruse proposed four steps: prioritizing, seeing the full picture, organized planning and expression of ideas.

He pointed out that prioritizing requires clear frameworks to help identify one’s main and secondary priorities. Furthermore, the researcher needs to define his research and knowledge goals, because research must be based on the rule: “Follow the evidence.”

Mr. Kruse stressed that seeing the full picture requires a clear perspective; if you want to change the course of history, you must be able to see what others do not. What is even more important is to convince others of what you see and anticipate in the future. He explained that the ability to see the full picture is the basis of life strategy and future planning.

Mr. Kruse advised young researchers at TRENDS to follow a structured process to plan their personal and professional lives, and to express their ideas openly. “Awaken the giant within,” he told them.

He added that research requires an ability to present ideas in an organized manner, and organized knowledge helps to develop ideas through research that aims at continuous exploration, analysis, and experimenting.

As far as planning is concerned, Mr. Kruse stressed that we need to deal with situations, opportunities and challenges according to what is possible and available. This applies to one’s career, finances, health, education, family relations, social life, spirituality and religion.

Mr. Kruse put forward detailed guidelines that might assist young researchers’ planning. These include arranging life priorities at a specific moment, using a life map with specific timelines and continuous evaluation of one’s life path and goals.

Regarding determination, Mr. Kruse said that young researchers should be constantly determined to conduct research. He advised young researchers: “Explore yourselves. Pursue your ambitions. Create whatever you want. Constantly review your decisions. Never stop thinking, researching and analyzing.” He explained that every step one takes in life will have inevitable consequences. However, is it meaningful? Does it make any difference? Is it visible to others? Answering these questions, he said: "I see, I plan.”

Mr. Kruse pointed out that continuing to see things, anticipating the future and having prepared plans are the foundations of genius vision. He added that self-review and prioritization create a genius vision with a future outlook.

TRENDS Personality 2021

To mark the seventh anniversary of TRENDS Research and Advisory, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS, named the late Dr. Ashraf Saad El-Eissawy, a TRENDS media advisor who recently passed away, as TRENDS Personality 2021.

Al-Ali said that in this way, TRENDS is honoring El-Eissawy’s long career in the service of science, knowledge and humanity. He went on to say that El-Eissawy had left his unique mark on TRENDS journey since its inception.

A New Initiative

Dr. Mohammed Al-Ali CEO of TRENDS, launched a new initiative designed to attract writers and political analysts to present their views and contribute their political analytical writings to TRENDS’ scientific research sector.

Al-Ali explained that this initiative seeks to establish partnerships with well-established Emirati writers and political analysts, including most notably His Excellency Maqsoud Kruse, Strategic Communications Advisor at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, along with Khalfan Al Ketbi, and Mohammed Khalfan Al Sawafi. He pointed out that this initiative would later be expanded to include writers from other countries in the region and the world.