Zayed University have seen their budgets fail to grow in line with cost increases in the past few years.
Zayed University have seen their budgets fail to grow in line with cost increases in the past few years.
Zayed University have seen their budgets fail to grow in line with cost increases in the past few years.
Zayed University have seen their budgets fail to grow in line with cost increases in the past few years.

Government to fund extra 3,000 students


Daniel Bardsley
  • English
  • Arabic

Thousands of Emiratis who faced missing out on places at government universities will now be admitted after the Cabinet yesterday approved funding for an additional 3,000 applicants. Students who meet entrance requirements will be able to take up places in September. Zayed University, UAE University and the Higher Colleges of Technology have seen their budgets fail to grow in line with cost increases in the past few years, forcing them to turn away students and cap wage rises, and causing some academics to resign.

Members of the Cabinet approved the budget increase on the orders of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Following the decision, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, said: "No student will be left behind. We hope that this will be the beginning of the solution for all [government] higher education institutions." The decision follows a Federal National Council (FNC) meeting this year at which Sheikh Nahyan said higher education budgets had failed to take account of inflation and increased responsibilities. At the same meeting, members of the FNC were told that UAE University needed an extra Dh500 million (US$136m).

Zayed University's annual budget has been frozen at Dh210 million since the 2002-03 academic year, despite a 52 per cent rise in student numbers. This year, 16,081 Emiratis applied for places at government universities, of which 13,195 achieved examination results that made them eligible. Before the funding increase, 9,782 of these students were projected to be offered places, leaving 3,413 unable to enrol.

Subha al Shamisi, the Ministry of Education's executive director for higher education and scientific research, said those applicants would now have the chance to study for a diploma, higher diploma or degree. "I am absolutely very pleased," she said. "This will help so many students to go into universities and will make our job easier. "When students don't have a place, it makes it very difficult for us to tell them we're not accepting them when they meet the minimum requirements." Miss Shamisi said the budget announcement was "perfect timing" because Sheikh Nahyan was scheduled to approve this year's student numbers on Thursday.

In May, it was revealed that officials were close to finalising a formula that would link funding at government universities to the number of students. That agreement, expected to lead to a significant increase in funds for the federal tertiary institutions, is still under discussion. This week's announcement involves a separate, one-year budget allocation. The cabinet's decision on funding is the second piece of good news for government universities in recent days.

Last week, Sheikh Nahyan revealed that Zayed University had secured accreditation from the United States' Middle States Commission on Higher Education. It is the first federal university to receive international accreditation. Also at yesterday's cabinet meeting, ministers were briefed on the US State Department's recent Trafficking in Persons Report. According to the Government news agency WAM, the Cabinet "appreciated the positive points" the report contained about the UAE's efforts to combat human trafficking.

A federal draft law to help the creation of sport clubs and associations to encourage more professionalism in the sector was approved at the same meeting. The Cabinet also approved the creation of a foreign aid co-ordination office to be chaired by Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, Deputy prime minister, and confirmed the appointment of Abdullah Ibrahim al Shehhi as the UAE's Ambassador to Iraq. @Email:dbardsley@thenational.ae

Company Profile:

Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018) 

Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021

Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.

The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.

These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.

“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.

“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.

“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.

“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”

Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.

There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.

“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.

“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.

“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures

October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How much of your income do you need to save?

The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.

In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)

Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.

 

House-hunting

Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove

  1. Edinburgh, Scotland 
  2. Westminster, London 
  3. Camden, London 
  4. Glasgow, Scotland 
  5. Islington, London 
  6. Kensington and Chelsea, London 
  7. Highlands, Scotland 
  8. Argyll and Bute, Scotland 
  9. Fife, Scotland 
  10. Tower Hamlets, London 

 

RESULT

Wolves 1 (Traore 67')

Tottenham 2 (Moura 8', Vertonghen 90 1')

Man of the Match: Adama Traore (Wolves)

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

HWJN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Yasir%20Alyasiri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Baraa%20Alem%2C%20Nour%20Alkhadra%2C%20Alanoud%20Saud%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
FIXTURES

Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)

Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)

Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

RESULTS

Argentina 4 Haiti 0

Peru 2 Scotland 0

Panama 0 Northern Ireland 0

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners