Engineering students squared off against rest of the world

Three institutions in Abu Dhabi take part in project to compare the success of universities.

ABU DHABI // Engineering students in Abu Dhabi will be assessed in a project to compare the success of universities around the world.

The project, called Assessing Higher Education Learning Outcomes, was launched by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to evaluate and compare universities.

So far 40,000 students at 270 institutions, including three in the capital, have signed up. The universities are in 17 countries including Egypt, Japan and Canada.

Of the three areas of assessment - generic skills, economics and civil engineering - Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec), which helped to fund the project, chose to focus on civil engineering.

Dr Rafic Makki, the head of higher education at Adec, said it was an area crucial in achieving "the socio-economic vision of the 2030 plan".

"Engineering is responsible for much of the economic development relating to technology around the world," Dr Makki said.

He said that of five universities in the emirate offering civil engineering, only three volunteered to undergo a 30-minute overall assessment of their learning environment and have their students take a 90-minute examination.

Taking part are the federal UAE University and two private institutions, Abu Dhabi University and Al Hosn University.

A focus on civil engineering for the pilot project brought the number of countries in that sector down to eight, with 133 students in Abu Dhabi sitting this month's test.

Prof Abdul Rahim Sabouni, vice chancellor of Al Hosn University, said he was reluctant at first to sign up, aware of the high standards the institution may be up against.

"It was a bit of a challenge to us knowing what these international standards mean," Prof Sabouni said. "However, whatever the outcome, it's been a great success because it's going to be an indicator as to whether or not we are on the right direction.

"We will find what our deficiencies are and where we must improve."

Prof Mohamed Baniyas, the dean of medicine at UAE University and the incoming provost, welcomed the initiative.

"Assessment of higher education is very relevant as it isn't just about graduates who have the knowledge, but to ensure the graduates achieve various skills … practical skills for the market needs," Prof Baniyas said.

Dr Mugheer Al Khaili, the director general of Adec, said a worldwide assessment was a challenge but would help the authority to make improvements and changes to policy.

"Education in the UAE is still in the first generation," Dr Al Khaili said. "Therefore, we can't compare ourselves to other universities that have been established for hundreds of years."