DUBAI // The Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai’s education regulator, is tightening up its application process for institutions that want to cash in on Expo 2020 and hope to launch in the emirate.
“We expect a lot of proposals for schools and universities,” said Dr Warren Fox, head of higher education at KHDA. “Things will probably come pretty quickly. There’s a lot of expectations of quick growth between now and 2020, which means we need to be really cautious about proposals for new institutions.”
He said in the long run, quality must come above any notions of education being simply a means of making money.
“With all the excitement of 2020 there are expectations of money to be made within higher education, but in the long term it’s about the quality of the institution, how it serves the needs of the students and how it serves the needs of Dubai.”
Though the KHDA already has stringent standards, Dr Fox said they will get tighter.
“We are implementing a very rigorous review system for new proposals and we are prepared to be firm in our review decisions,” he said. “It’s in the interest of existing institutions and current and future students that we do this.
“We are for quality and consumer protection.”
Prof Ammar Kaka, head of campus for the Scottish university, Heriot Watt, which has a branch campus in Academic City, is relieved standards will be tightened. Heriot Watt first came to Dubai in 2005 and has since built up a student body of 3,600 students on a state-of-the-art campus.
“An attempt to earn a quick buck in education is never a good idea, even for business reasons, aside from the moral and ethics aspects for a minute,” Prof Kaka said. “Education only makes money after a number of years and for an institution to survive in the longer term, it needs to offer quality education and for a cost that is perceived to be value for money.
“The aspiration here should be to grow the Dubai education hub for the long term. So far there has been significant growth and successes here from the free zone branch campuses and any further significant growth I expect will have to come from attracting international students.”
Prof Raed Awamleh, director of Middlesex University in Dubai, a UK branch campus, agreed that 2020 will spur more interest in the emirate.
“International universities have always been attracted to set up branches in Dubai, and then with the Expo, more interest will certainly develop.”
Staying open, however, is quite different from setting up and a long-term strategy is vital, he said. Michigan State University, from the US, closed all undergraduate offerings at its branch campus in 2010 after just two years.
“To succeed, a branch campus must become an integral part of its local community, schools, industry and corporate sector,” Prof Awamleh said. “This takes time, resources, strategy, stamina and follow-through. The experiences of current universities in Dubai demonstrate this point. Economic viability and sustainability are not automatic, they take a huge deal of effort.”
He said parents, students and professionals have high expectations of universities and the good reputation of its home campus is not enough.
“High-quality delivery on the ground is what makes a university campus successful,” he said. “While I am confident that KHDA will continue to be rigorous in its screening of new university applications, I am not concerned about potential new providers who may enter the higher education market because I believe that this will only apply positive pressure on everyone to get better.
“This applies to all universities, including the non-branch campuses.”
mswan@thenational.ae
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Engine 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
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Price: Dh649,000 (Dh549,000 for GTS)
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AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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South Pole stats
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The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
MATCH INFO
Championship play-offs, second legs:
Aston Villa 0
Middlesbrough 0
(Aston Villa advance 1-0 on aggregate)
Fulham 2
Sessegnon (47'), Odoi (66')
Derby County 0
(Fulham advance 2-1 on aggregate)
Final
Saturday, May 26, Wembley. Kick off 8pm (UAE)
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Major honours
ARSENAL
- FA Cup - 2005
BARCELONA
- La Liga - 2013
- Copa del Rey - 2012
- Fifa Club World Cup - 2011
CHELSEA
- Premier League - 2015, 2017
- FA Cup - 2018
- League Cup - 2015
SPAIN
- World Cup - 2010
- European Championship - 2008, 2012
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Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
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Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
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3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
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Results:
6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer).
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9.25pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,600m.
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How Tesla’s price correction has hit fund managers
Investing in disruptive technology can be a bumpy ride, as investors in Tesla were reminded on Friday, when its stock dropped 7.5 per cent in early trading to $575.
It recovered slightly but still ended the week 15 per cent lower and is down a third from its all-time high of $883 on January 26. The electric car maker’s market cap fell from $834 billion to about $567bn in that time, a drop of an astonishing $267bn, and a blow for those who bought Tesla stock late.
The collapse also hit fund managers that have gone big on Tesla, notably the UK-based Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF.
Tesla is the top holding in both funds, making up a hefty 10 per cent of total assets under management. Both funds have fallen by a quarter in the past month.
Matt Weller, global head of market research at GAIN Capital, recently warned that Tesla founder Elon Musk had “flown a bit too close to the sun”, after getting carried away by investing $1.5bn of the company’s money in Bitcoin.
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Dramatic swings are to be expected when investing in disruptive technology, as Ms Wood at ARK makes clear.
Every week, she sends subscribers a commentary listing “stocks in our strategies that have appreciated or dropped more than 15 per cent in a day” during the week.
Her latest commentary, issued on Friday, showed seven stocks displaying extreme volatility, led by ExOne, a leader in binder jetting 3D printing technology. It jumped 24 per cent, boosted by news that fellow 3D printing specialist Stratasys had beaten fourth-quarter revenues and earnings expectations, seen as good news for the sector.
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Despite that setback, Ms Wood remains positive, arguing that its “medicinal chemistry platform offers a powerful and unique view into chemical space”.
In her weekly video view, she remains bullish, stating that: “We are on the right side of change, and disruptive innovation is going to deliver exponential growth trajectories for many of our companies, in fact, most of them.”
Ms Wood remains committed to Tesla as she expects global electric car sales to compound at an average annual rate of 82 per cent for the next five years.
She said these are so “enormous that some people find them unbelievable”, and argues that this scepticism, especially among institutional investors, “festers” and creates a great opportunity for ARK.
Only you can decide whether you are a believer or a festering sceptic. If it’s the former, then buckle up.
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Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
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Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
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The Old Slave and the Mastiff
Patrick Chamoiseau
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
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- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
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- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
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- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
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- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
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Director: Christopher McQuarrie
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Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
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Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019