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Improve Education System, Say Experts

ABU DHABI - In a measure to improve higher education nearly 420 experts from 78 countries assembled in Abu Dhabi for a five-day INQAAHE (International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education) conference that ended on Thursday.

The conference was the first of its kind in the GCC region as the UAE is the first Arab country which has a quality accreditation system.

The conference was organised by the commission for academic accreditation, a department at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Dr Badr Aboul Ela, Director Commission for Academic Accreditation, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, said, “We received noble suggestions in respect to improving the standard of quality higher education from experts who assembled here from around the world. We intend to further enhance quality academic curriculum for future students.”

Dr Warren Fox, Executive Director of Higher Education Agency at the Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) said, “The role of KHDA is to plan and promote the delivery of high quality tertiary education accessible to all national, regional and international students in Dubai.”

Fox added, “Dubai has the second largest population with 1.6 million people. Ninety per cent are expatriates from all over the world and only 10 per cent are local Emirati, while 82 per cent of population is aged between 15 and 49 years old.”

Regarding higher education Fox said, “There are 58 higher education providers in Dubai in which 12 are international including the UK, US, Australia, France and Lebanon.”

On higher education landscape Fox said, “Approximately, there are 38,500 students in Dubai and almost 40 per cent of them are Emiratis, while the multicultural student population is from 60 different nationalities.”

The UQAIB Equivalency Validation model is strategically designed to ensure that Dubai is capable of providing genuine international higher education rather than internationally sourced higher education that is then modified to local standards,” Fox said.

anwar@khaleejtimes.com