07 Nov 2024
Today, the UAE is home to some of the world’s best universities and is attracting talented students in the Arab world and globally. The country has many international institutions that bring opportunities to non-nationals and residents alike to attend; the emirates present a unique cultural concentration of students with a diverse range of qualifications and backgrounds. So, are you interested in studying abroad in the Arab region? Well, among the Middle Eastern nations the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the leading international study destinations and has seen a rise in the popularity of international students that’s putting the region increasingly on the radar of top universities. Many students come to explore studying a year/semester abroad in the UAE often using formulas that allow their diploma to “be recognized not only in the UAE and other Gulf Cooperation Council nations, but also in the institution’s country of origin,” as told QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited that provides higher education and careers information and solutions. To underpin this location an advantage, among the seven states that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah with its recognized educational institutions are said to be an up-and-coming destination for international learners that will contribute to the growth of the next generation of scholars and young entrepreneurs. So, how do you choose the right university, or the right degree? Here are a few suggestions and tips. There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing the right university degree program to pursue. What will likely influence the student’s decision is their career choice and education required is obviously a combination of personal interest and market request for ceratin professional figures. It is also advisable to work with a school counselor at the institution to find out about available programs in a subject of interest that can be best applied to the career development process. Here are some of the Top Universities in the UAE, according to the QS World University Rankings 2018 and as also featured in Times Higher Education World University Rankings. ◉ United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) – is said to be the best university in the country, according to the latest version of the QS World University Rankings, for its ratio of international faculty members, students and programs. UAEU is offering scholarships for Emirati and international students. ◉ Abu Dhabi University (ADU) – a well-recognized school that provides degree programs both in English and in Arabic. The institution has a wide range of degree programs. ◉ University of Dubai (UD) – “offers 50% discounts to students who have achieved a GPA of 90% and above in the American curriculum. As many as 85% of recent graduates have found employment within six months of graduating.” UD is based in Dubai International Academic City (DIAC). ◉ Khalifa University – is a science-, technology-, research-focused university located in Abu Dhabi with a satellite campus in Sharjah. ◉ American University of Sharjah (AUS) – is based on the American model of higher education and noted for its academic excellence and multicultural campus life. “[AUS] receives a very high score in the ‘student mix’ category of the QS Best Student Cities index, with a whopping 50% of students at its internationally ranked universities coming from outside of the country – the highest percentage of international enrolments in the entire QS Best Student Cities index.” ◉ American University in Dubai (AUD) – an institution of higher learning that follows a curriculum in Arts and Sciences. There are many nationalities represented in the AUD student body. Note: Prospective students can register their interest by contacting the Undergraduate, Graduate, or Postgraduate admissions office. There are several UAE scholarship opportunities by fields of study and subject. Sometime preference is being given to UAE Nationals to pursue higher education at university level but there are also many opportunities for foreign learners if in good academic standing. There are even grants that cover all the student expenses associated with their field of study accompanied with a stipend to cover living costs or partly funded accommodation. As His Highness (H.H.) Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the UAE, noted, “the greatest use that can be made of wealth is to invest it in creating generations of educated and trained people.” And “the real asset of any advanced nation is its people, especially the educated ones, and the prosperity and success of the people are measured by the standard of their education.”
