UAE University among top 10 in Islamic world

The report entitled as “Academic Ranking of Universities in the OIC” was presented at the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) meeting in Iran last week by the SESRTCIC, a research centre established by the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM) in 1977.

Shaikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of the University, acknowledged the hard work of university scientists to achieve this landmark.

“Building a good research base is the precondition for a nation to develop its own knowledge capital and the UAEU has successfully paved the way for scientists to work closely with important national institutions and the industrial sector to be placed in the list of top 10 elite universities of the Muslim World,” Shaikh Nahyan said.

Other senior officials of the UAE University were all praise for the university scientists .

“We are very proud of this achievement. I think it's not a small achievement considering we are a still a young university as compared to many of those from other Islamic countries,” said Vice-Chancellor of UAE University Dr. Hadif bin Jouan Al Dhahiri.

Dr. Abdulla Al Khanbashi, Provost of the UAEU, said it was the result of consistent efforts to take the university into the 21st century. “I think at the UAE University we have taken all the right turns since a clear policy and an implementation mechanism were placed in the research sector to achieve this distinction and become the ninth top research university in the Muslim world,” he said.

Dr. Maitha Al Shamsi, Assistant Provost for Research, said this landmark could be achieved after only seven years of hard work and after the chancellor set up the Research Affairs Fund and issued guidelines for research activities.

“Following the guidelines from Sheikh Nahyan, the research affairs section of the UAEU shifted its priorities regarding the nature of research. It then focused its resources and efforts on research projects that would have direct impact on social developments,” said Dr. Al Shamsi.

She felt the high ranking of the UAE University in terms of research was due to its emphasis on the society-based research projects and the presence of an interaction mechanism that brought the university and societal sectors together.