|
MEEF |
|
|
|
|
|
|
An
expansion of courses, greater numbers of UAE national students
and the potential of major new research projects are just some
of the exciting developments due to take place at the British
University in Dubai (BUiD) this year.As the university moves into its third calendar year, staff and students are looking forward to strengthening BUiD’s position as one of the leading academic institutions in the Middle East.
Key to its vision for 2007 is a continued drive to increase student numbers, while retaining its reputation for achieving internationally accredited standards in its higher education courses.
BUiD aims to have almost 300 students passing through its doors by the end of the year and more than 1,000 students by 2010 – a five fold increase on the 200 plus students currently enrolled at the University.
Building a future generation of managers to further the growth and development of the UAE remains a central part of BUiD’s philosophy, with Emiratis comprising 48 percent of students and the remaining 52 percent from 25 different nationalities.
The university is committed to increasing further the number of Emiratis as the student body expands over future years, and has just announced an additional 90 new scholarships from the Emirates Foundation to add to the existing 130 currently in place.
“This year will be the most important year for BUiD as we seek to capitalise on our achievements from 2006 and introduce new initiatives across the board,” said David Lock, registrar and acting CEO of BUiD.
“Our staff are passionate about higher education by creating a high quality research-led University of which its students can be proud. The next few months are going to be exciting and challenging as we aim to expand in almost every area.”
Fresh from the success of introducing two new MSc courses in Finance and Banking, and IT Management in 2006, BUiD is planning the introduction of five new postgraduate programmes this year.
They
include an MSc in Human Resources Management which BUiD has
introduced in response to initiatives by Dubai Government for
Emiratis to fill the most senior human resources positions in
the public and private sector.Postgraduates will also benefit from MSc courses in the vitally important areas of Strategic Operations and Services Management, Construction Law and Dispute Resolution, Sustainable Development and Systems Engineering. A Masters’ degree (MEd) in Information and Communication Technology will also be a new addition to the curriculum.
In keeping with its objective of providing the highest internationally recognised levels of research-based education, BUiD is negotiating to obtain a number of highly important new research projects throughout the region in 2007.
Current research projects include those enabling the “Arabisation” of the World Wide Web to assist millions of Arabic speakers across the globe use the internet to maximise their potential.
Academics from BUiD have produced 98 research papers during 2005-6, and have also organised the university’s first international research conference in Dubai.
BUiD has signed Memoranda of Understanding with Dubai’s Department of Economic Development which will lead to the creation of a research agenda for Dubai and with the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry which will lead to the identification of training and research needs for organisations in Abu Dhabi.
Quality of research remains a top priority as BUiD continues to maintain strong relationships with highly prestigious UK universities such as Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and City University in London. All are rated 5 and 5* for their excellence in research and teaching.
To enable prospective students to meet BUiD’s demanding entry requirements, the Language and Study Skills Unit will be expanding its help to students both in Dubai and Abu Dhabi with evening classes designed to improve language skills. The expansion also plans to increase the number of students sponsored by companies across the region.
“The University has built a strong reputation for the high quality of its programmes and research, and we look forward to taking another significant step ahead during 2007,” added Lock.
“We want to empower our students so they can help make Dubai the knowledge capital of the Gulf, providing a vital contribution to the social and economic development of the entire region and beyond.”
About British University in Dubai
The British University in Dubai (BUiD) is the Middle East’s first research-based, postgraduate university. The University was established to facilitate access to world-class education, training and research in the Middle East. BUiD aspires to the highest, internationally recognized British standards as reflected in its partnership with the University of Edinburgh, the University of Birmingham, the University of Manchester, Cardiff University and the Cass Business School at City University, London. Each has a five or five-star rating in the UK national Research Assessment Exercise that signifies research of international standard.
The not-for-profit university offers full and part-time Masters Degree programmes and Continuing Professional Development courses in Information Technology, Project Management, the Built Environment, Finance and Banking, Education and IT Management.
All BUiD’s current Masters Programmes have received Accreditation Eligibility Status from the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research’s Commission for Academic Accreditation.
The founders of the University are the Al Maktoum Foundation, the Dubai Development and Investment Authority, Rolls-Royce, the British Business Group and the National Bank of Dubai. The University is governed by a Council under the chairmanship of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
The Emirates Group, DUCAB, Atkins, Dubai Duty Free, Hyder Consulting, the Emirates Foundation and DUGAS are supporters of the university through financial contributions or the provision of scholarships.
Al Bawaba www.albawaba.com