Higher Education in the UAE: A class apart

Many students feel overwhelmed by the options when trying to decide where to spend the next four (or more) years of their lives. Many in the UAE choose to look towards Asia, Europe, or even the US to pursue higher education. Today, the UAE provides internationally-acclaimed education at affordable fees. Chances are that whatever subject you wish to study, there is a university that offers it. The UAE excels in programmes focusing on science, technology, business, and more. In some cases, international students may be able to focus on working or completing an internship to further their degree and career options as opposed to only taking classes.

The UAE is driven by a bold and ambitious vision: to be one of the best countries in the world by the time the young nation celebrates its Golden Jubilee in 2021. A key pillar in realising this vision is the development of a first-rate education system driven by a complete transformation of the current education system and teaching methods. This vision, in turn, is being fulfilled by the increase in student enrolment as they realise the importance its educational system plays globally.

Parents, in the UAE and across the globe, are increasingly willing to fund their children's education in the UAE to get the best start in their lives and prepare them for the highly competitive global job market. According to a Technavio report, the CAGR of the education market in the UAE is expected to accelerate at five per cent through 2022.

Indeed, the UAE has established a vibrant education sector with an increasing variety of choice at all levels. While the private segment continues to dominate, recent reforms have seen major improvements to public sector higher education, modernising it and bringing it in line with international best practices. Inevitably, high rates of growth in the number of higher education institutions have led to consolidation, gradually slowing expansion and creating greater barriers to entry for prospective players.

The country has become a preferred destination for higher education due to revised visa regulations, quality of life, safety and the cost-benefit advantage. Many leading Western universities in Dubai offer the same degrees as their home campuses, only with lower tuition rates and living expenses. It is also easier for students to secure long-term UAE visas, facilitating residency and employment in the country. This takes the time and pressure off the job search for fresh graduates and, in turn, contributes to the retention of homegrown talent. In addition, the UAE ranked as the second safest country in the 'World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017', boosting its credentials among tourists as well as transnational students.

Dubai is now a benchmark city, not just for the region, but for other education centres globally, and the emirate's higher education segment is continuing to expand and mature. Capacity is increasing due to Dubai's ability to attract high-quality institutions from around the world, as well as offer a diversified range of programme options and learning formats for students. Supported by its education free zone, Dubai is attracting global talent and education providers. A growing number of branch campuses of overseas universities are providing more choice to local and regional students at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level. However, this trend is less about programme offerings and more about flexibility, personalisation and delivery formats.

'The Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2019', in which the UAE and Dubai both performed well, shows that cities rather than countries are developing stronger roles as talent hubs and will be crucial to reshaping the global talent landscape. This is because cities have greater flexibility in adapting to new trends and patterns, thus making them especially attractive for entrepreneurial talent. At the institutional level, support is offered to educational providers that are developing their campuses as incubators of entrepreneurship and innovation, and are expanding their capabilities as international research centres.

While industry relevance is an important component of business programmes, there is no doubt that soft skills, such as leadership and creativity, are also increasingly valued by businesses. These skills are easily transferable across industries and are not easily automated.

Best of both worlds
Abu Dhabi and Dubai have a global profile that help attract talented individuals to live, work and study here. The growing number of international universities and institutes, coupled with the high standard of education and living, will continue to draw students to the country. The key is to maintain high-quality teaching and learning experiences, and to support graduates as they embark on their careers. Dubai is committed to this, and we remain very confident that the higher education segment will continue to flourish not just in terms of student numbers but in quality as well.  

Some of the notable international universities here include West London University, with the coveted title of 'Career University', that helps students leverage industry-focused training.

Similarly, Middlesex University was awarded the 'Best Media Centre' in 2019 and is launching two new courses this autumn - criminal behaviour and forensics.  
Meanwhile, as the world dealt with the pandemic, Murdoch University Dubai shifted completely to e-learning and took this time to move to a brand-new campus in Dubai Knowledge Park. The Australian-accredited degrees offered are internationally recognised.

Founded as the first private higher education in the UAE and today ranked third in the world for international students, the QS World University Rankings (QSWUR) 2021 edition lists Ajman University among the top 750 institutions globally by ranking it in the 701-750 band - thereby propelling the institution into the top 2.5 per cent of universities worldwide.

Similarly, Gulf Medical University, the first private university in the UAE, offers professional education in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, etc. and is aligned with many healthcare providers to help students kick-start careers.

With an array of international universities and degrees to choose from, the UAE continues to strengthen its position as an educational hub, providing a safe environment and access to quality education for local and transnational students alike.