Educational Initiatives and Sage Educational Consultants celebrate a quarter-century of learning assessment with the Ei ASSET Awards 2026, recognizing top performers across 25 schools in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and Al Ain.
DUBAI, UAE — September 21, 2026 — Educational Initiatives (Ei) and Sage Educational Consultants celebrated 25 years of Ei ASSET with the Ei ASSET Awards 2026, held Saturday, September 19, at the Ramee Dream Hotel in Business Bay. The evening honored students, teachers, and schools across the UAE for outstanding performance on the Ei ASSET assessment, a diagnostic test designed to measure conceptual understanding rather than rote memorization. Dr. Ram Shankar, founding Director of the first CBSE Regional Office and Centre of Excellence established outside India, served as Chief Guest.
Since assuming the role in July 2024, he has overseen teacher training for CBSE-affiliated educators across 26 countries. Awards spanned five categories: National Level Toppers in English, Mathematics, Science, and — new this year — Reading Assessment and Arabic; EMS National Awards for top cross-subject performance; Ei ASSET Talent Search (Ei ATS) Awards for gifted students in Grades 4–8; Best Performing Class Awards; and the Top 25 Performing ASSET Schools for 2025–26, representing institutions across Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and Al Ain.
"Twenty-five years ago, we set out to prove that a test could do more than rank students — it could actually help them learn," said Hakan Ayaz, Senior Vice President and Head of International Sales at Educational Initiatives. "We don't need to argue for it anymore. We just point at nights like tonight." Savitri Sreevalsan, Founder and CEO of Sage Educational Consultants, who introduced Ei ASSET to the UAE 16 years ago, reflected on the program's growth: "Back then, I was making the case, cold, to principals who had never seen an assessment like it.
Tonight, 25 schools made the case for us, just by being here." Ei and Sage currently work with more than 120 schools across the UAE. Organizers emphasized that the 25 honored schools represent a snapshot of a broader community of participating institutions.