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Education

Dubai to assure quality in higher education

By Alice Kok | 7 November 2008

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has set up a quality assurance board to review higher education in Dubai’s Free Zones. One aim of the Board, made up of quality assurance experts from around the world, will be to ensure that a degree earned from an international higher education establishment on a campus in Dubai is of the same value as that achieved in its country of origin.

The criteria by which institutions will be evaluated are set out in a quality manual which will be made available next month. Currently what has been given to institutions is a checklist of documents that are required for submission.

As Dubai’s student population is predicted to grow to 90,000 by 2010 (compared to 24,000 in July 2007), a guarantee of the highest-possible standards is obviously crucial. One of the Universities Quality Assurance International Board’s (UQAIB) important tasks will be to co-ordinate higher education with the workplace, to improve the quality of young professionals in all walks of life.

It is expected by KHDA that 16 institutions will be considered by in this first round of reviews. They will be given the outcome by the end of January 2009 from the KHDA’s Licensing Department. The remaining institutions that were not reviewed in this round - and new institutions - will be processed early next year. If an institution does not meet quality standards, its license may be renewed with conditions attached, and recommendations for improvement will be made within a specified period of time.

The board will ensure that all international higher education institutions in Dubai’s Free Zones are properly accredited in their home country, and conform to international and the Emirate’s standards.

Warren Fox Chairman of UQAIB said, “Branch campuses are located in Dubai as they can offer quality programmes that are already accredited in their home countries. The Board’s validation of academic programmes will be a significant step forward for quality assurance in the Dubai Free Zones.”

UQAIB will review all licensing applications of Higher Education Providers in Dubai Free Zones, and make recommendations on accepting or rejecting these applications.

UQAIB will also set up a grievance procedure for parents, students and staff, and will make inspections of the institutions periodically if needed. Additionally it will advise KHDA on international trends and developments in higher education quality management.

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