ABU DHABI // The quality of the UAE’s higher education system has been deemed “debatable” in a new paper examining the country’s efforts in research, teaching and student recruitment.
In the paper titled “Factors favouring or impeding building a stronger higher education system in the United Arab Emirates”, its lead author Dr Sanaa Ashour said: “Despite the many quality and regulatory bodies in the UAE and regardless of its performance indicators in the Global Competitiveness Reports, the state’s quality of higher education is still debatable due to the quality of graduates and the level of programmes being offered in some private institutions.”
Dr Ashour, an assistant professor of mass communications at Khawarizmi International College in Abu Dhabi, wrote the paper based on an extensive literature review. It was published in the Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management.
The Emirate’s first university, UAE University in Al Ain, was founded in 1976. There are two more federal institutions, Zayed University and the Higher Colleges of Technology, plus more than 70 licensed by the Ministry of Education and a further 40 or more in free zones.
“Private institutions play a major role in providing higher education, with only three public universities and the other 75 are private higher education institutions,” said Dr Ashour, adding that the private sector is “mostly profit-driven” and having a more harmonised quality control system would help the diverse, international market.
There are 30 branch campuses in Dubai alone, representing universities from countries such as Australia, the UK and India.
Co-researcher Syeda Kauser Fatima, a lecturer in the education department at Khawarizmi International College, said although the UAE aims to be a knowledge-based economy, there are still many challenges related to the quality of graduates.
“Students believe they join the college or the university for the sake of marks rather than increasing their knowledge and experience and meeting the demands of the market. It has become a culture among students to plead for marks just due to peer or parents pressure whereas the real essence of knowledge and practical skills that are required for the industry is hardly seen.
“There is a great difference found between what is being given in the classrooms and what the industry needs.”
Dr Ashour said investment in graduate programmes and PhDs is vital to help the system move forward.
“The programmes being delivered at universities should have a direct connection with research and not simply aim for educational purposes..”
“In recent years universities have moved towards their concerns in research, which was totally neglected earlier”
Dean Hoke, education consultant and co-founder of Edu Alliance, agreed. “In order to be considered a top tier university in world and regional rankings, research is a major component. More direct funding is needed from government as well as industry partnerships and foundations to maintain and increase research.
“We are seeing more support coming from emerging foundations but other grant sources are needed.”
The researchers note that with so many universities in such a small country “supply surpassed demand” which has led to the closure of several institutions such as the branch campus of Michigan State University in 2010. There is also an oversupply of business and IT related courses.
“The UAE has too many colleges for its population base and the competition to get students is fierce,” Mr Hoke said. “This leads at times to lower standards or reducing budgets which diminishes the quality of education a student should receive and deserves ... We will see a consolidation of a number of current schools due to economic pressure, enrolment size and quality of programmes. This is already happening and we should expect more.”
mswan@thenational.ae
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
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Al Watan newspaper
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Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
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Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
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Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
