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USQ opens offshore campus in KV

DUBAI — Australia's University of Southern Queensland (USQ) officially opened its first offshore campus at the Knowledge Village in Dubai yesterday.

The opening was attended by Australian Ambassador to UAE Noel Campbell, Professor W.J. Lovegrove, USQ's Vice-Chancellor and President, Dr Rodeney Gerber, USQ in Dubai Chief Academic Officer, Dr Abdulla Al Karam, CEO Knowledge Village and other local dignitaries and guests.

Mr Campbell welcomed the launch of USQ as another indicator of the increasing strength and diversity of relations between Australia and UAE.

“It reflects Australia's excellent reputation as a serious and high-quality education provider and reinforces the place of the Middle East as Australia's fastest growing market in the world for the export of goods and services,” he said.

Briefing the Press on USQ's Dubai campus, Professor W.J. Lovegrove, USQ's Vice-Chancellor and President, lauded the efforts of the Australian mission and the Knowledge Village in bringing the second Australian university's offshore campus into Dubai.

He said the orientation programme for prospective students and their parents had already begun and that they were expecting the first intake of students to commence classes on October 2.

"Around 200 students are expected to enroll into the university for the new academic year beginning next month," he said.

“I am excited by the life-long learning opportunities that we will be able to offer to the people of the Gulf region via the university's internationally-recognised, flexibly-delivered degree and diploma programmes,” Professor Lovegrove said.

“The USQ in Australia already has 410 students enrolled from the Gulf region, including 294 from the UAE, and we look forward to providing a world-class learning experience to many more students from the region at USQ's Dubai campus,” he said.

The USQ in Dubai will offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes as well as Pathways and English language programmes, and Distance learning programme at USQ Australia. The undergraduate programme include Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Information Technology and Bachelor of Mass Communication.

Dr Al Karam, CEO of Knowledge Village, said USQ's presence in Dubai will help enrich the KV community and add value to the pool of offerings available in the KV.