Adapting to New Times

Vince Cook | President of Trustees, DESSC “…most people in Dubai are past masters at adaptation and certainly not afraid to tackle something new.

Given the turmoil of the last year and a bit - the way we have all been forced to reconsider what is most important to us and what we can live without - bringing the need to adopt wholly different ways of living our daily lives, it is fitting that the first theme of this new DESSC publication should be “Embracing Change”.

Whilst it may not always feel this way, I think most people in Dubai are past masters at adaptation and certainly not afraid to tackle something new. We are fortunate to be in one of the most dynamic environments in the world right now and, for the vast majority, the decision to move here away from family and friends and our native countries is clear evidence of our inclination to see change generally, at a time when new and exciting opportunities open up.

Nevertheless it is also one of the great paradoxes in human nature that we are all creatures of habit and take great comfort from routine to varying degrees. So it is important during times of the most extreme change that we understand and accept that all of us will need help from time to time to make the best of the emerging reality. The rather less attractive alternative is to leave people feeling paralysed when the supportive things in our lives that have been taken for granted are no longer available or appropriate for the new circumstances we find ourselves in.

From the perspective of the Board of Trustees of DESSC, it is fair to say that from the outset of this recent crisis we were extremely concerned that the School and College represent a safe and comforting environment in our community of students, parents and teachers during the current period of immense change, whilst ensuring we were all equipped to get through it in good shape. Whilst easy to say, it is something to pull this off when the management teams and teachers are also having to manage the day to day practical challenges that lockdowns, social distancing and all the other related responses to the evolving pandemic expected of us.

Despite this, it was extremely encouraging to see the level of positive comment and support coming from the different elements of our community throughout this period and I could see the joy radiating from both students and staff when we were able to get back to having physical lessons. This recent experience has highlighted for me quite how powerful it can be to have a supportive group of people around you, a clear sense of why something remains important no matter how the surroundings are changing and how daunting the immediate challenge and the immensely galvanising effect, immediate and spontaneous feedback – such as a child’s smile, can have on our ability to embrace change. Bring it on!