UAE Ministry of Higher Ed seeks to strike a balance between education outcomes and job market needs

Unveiling details of the ministry's strategic plan, His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research, said the ministry will give priority to updating education programmes at UAE universities to reflect international best practices, matching global standards.

H.E. Sheikh Nahyan said: 'The UAE universities and higher education institutions have a responsibility for creating and disseminating knowledge. We are keen to enhance the capabilities of our universities and research centres and maximise their contribution in building the country's knowledge economy.

'We are looking forward to achieve greater synergy with other ministries to fulfil key education objectives laid out in the government's strategic plan. We are working closely with the Ministry of Education to devise efficient solutions to address current challenges and open up untapped opportunities.'

H.E. Sheikh Nahyan referred to 'Al Ghad Schools' (Schools of Tomorrow) as an example of successful cooperation between the two ministries.

The project, to be implemented from the 2007-2008 academic year, will cover 50 schools. It is designed to eliminate the one-year 'initiation programme' the high school graduates have to undergo before enrolling for higher education.

The Ministry of Higher Education will apply quality management principles to all UAE universities and colleges as an essential prerequisite for successful human development schemes.

Stressing the importance of scientific research, H.E. Sheikh Nahyan said: 'The ministry's strategy has placed a special emphasis on research to enhance the UAE's regional and international status as a knowledge dissemination centre.'

The Ministry of Higher Education is also planning to build a comprehensive database to facilitate sound decision-making, especially for international scholarships as well as to assess the local job market requirements.

Establishing a planning and auditing unit to achieve overall quality management is also one of the ministry's objectives.

The ministry also targets to achieve an increase in the enrolment of male students in UAE universities. It will work closely with the Ministry of Education to reduce churn rates of male students from schools.

Other topics on the agenda include increasing support to the academic accreditation authority which supervises private universities and colleges while boosting cooperation with local education councils and enhancing capabilities of its academics and employees.