RAS AL KHAIMAH // Rules governing universities and colleges in the emirate’s academic free zone are being tightened to protect students.
Until now, a business could open a university in the free zone in Ras Al Khaimah without any guarantee of quality, accreditation or even provision of qualifications.
The Ministry of Education has more than 70 institutions under its Commission for Academic Accreditation, but it does not recognise schools in free zones.
In Dubai, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority’s University Quality Assurance International Board ensures that international campuses in free zones adhere to the standards and curriculum of the main university. Dubai is the only emirate to have such a system.
There are three federally accredited institutions in Ras Al Khaimah – the American University of Ras Al Khaimah, Higher Colleges of Technology, and the Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University.
Ras Al Khaimah’s education regulator will institute new rules to ensure stricter quality control and that schools provide honest and accurate marketing material.
Taner Topcu, director of the emirate’s academic zone, seeks to follow Dubai’s system.
Education providers in Ras Al Khaimah must agree to undertake the branch campus model, which the Swiss Business School is complying with.
“We need the institution to be accredited by its home country before we register them here,” said Mr Topcu.
The London American City College left Ras Al Khaimah after the change in regulations, while other schools – including Abasyn University from Pakistan, and Birla Institute of Technology and Science from India – are seeking accreditation from their home states.
“We want to base the system on a UK model of quality assurance, but we have to do this gradually,” said Mr Topcu.
Making universities more accountable for their marketing is another way for regulators to scrutinise them.
There are guidelines for the use of prose and images, which means that institutions can no longer show pictures of classrooms full of European students when this does not represent the learning environment.
Separately, the financing arm of the University of Bolton has been forced to change its name from “Western International College” to “Western International Corporation” because it is neither part of the university nor a college.
It is a franchise business hosting the university and will now be more tightly regulated by the home campus.
There is as yet no recourse for students who have issues and complaints about institutions.
Dr Natasha Ridge, executive director of the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, said stronger regulations and safety nets for students were “well overdue”.
She said many students had been exploited by non-accredited institutions, “so it’s a really good step forward”.
In Ras Al Khaimah, there are about 7,000 students, with 1,500 of them in free zones.
It is necessary for the emirate to tighten education regulations, as it hopes to reap the economic benefits of having a private education system.
“We have rejected more than 10 universities already,” said Mr Topcu.
Franco Vigliotti, dean of the Ras Al Khaimah campus of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), welcomed the tighter regulation.
The campus is accredited by the institution in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“I believe the ultimate goal across the UAE should be the extension of education programmes into high-quality and full-time research-based master’s and PhD programmes,” said Dr Vigliotti.
“This is what the nation will need to be in place in the years to come.”
Dean Hoke, co-founder of the Edu Alliance consultancy, said change was necessary.
“Parents want to know if the school is providing a good education and that graduates are likely to find meaningful employment,” he said.
“Setting and maintaining accreditation standards in line with international benchmarks is in the best and long-term interests of attracting and sustaining world-class universities, good faculty and students to any emirate.”
mswan@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cargoz%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Premlal%20Pullisserry%20and%20Lijo%20Antony%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2030%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Subscribe to Beyond the Headlines
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 720hp
Torque: 770Nm
Price: Dh1,100,000
On sale: now
liverpool youngsters
Ki-Jana Hoever
The only one of this squad to have scored for Liverpool, the versatile Dutchman impressed on his debut at Wolves in January. He can play right-back, centre-back or in midfield.
Herbie Kane
Not the most prominent H Kane in English football but a 21-year-old Bristolian who had a fine season on loan at Doncaster last year. He is an all-action midfielder.
Luis Longstaff
Signed from Newcastle but no relation to United’s brothers Sean and Matty, Luis is a winger. An England Under-16 international, he helped Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup last season.
Yasser Larouci
An 18-year-old Algerian-born winger who can also play as a left-back, Larouci did well on Liverpool’s pre-season tour until an awful tackle by a Sevilla player injured him.
Adam Lewis
Steven Gerrard is a fan of his fellow Scouser, who has been on Liverpool’s books since he was in the Under-6s, Lewis was a midfielder, but has been converted into a left-back.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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
The specs
Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km