KHDA meets with university heads to take the consolidation initiative forward

The meeting was attended by Dr. Abdulla Al Shamsi from The British University in Dubai, Dr. Omar Hefni, University of Dubai, Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, e-TQM College, Dr. Mohammed Awad Allah, Iman Malik College of Sharia & Law and KHDA representatives.

Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of KHDA said, "I thank all the agencies for the good work they have done so far in fulfilling the human resource needs of the country. But now there is an undeniable need to consolidate these agencies keeping in mind the bigger picture and the goals to be achieved."

Dr Al Karam reiterated, "We need an institution that addresses the dynamic needs of the region's industry and becomes the region's higher education destination offering unparalleled educational opportunities accessible to all. The education sector hasn't progressed as quickly as the other sectors in the past years and we must act swiftly, but correctly, to make up for the loss in time."

He added, "This consolidated institute will make Dubai a destination of choice for higher education for both male and female students of all nationalities. An institute, that will accommodate more than 10,000 students at once, so as to play an effective role in the achieving the objectives of DSP 2015. We want to build a world class higher education institute parallels the high standards that Dubai is achieving in all other sectors."

Commenting on the meeting, Dr. Al Karam said, "The positive outcomes from the individual meetings suggest that all parties felt the time is ripe for consolidation in the higher education sector. There was a general consensus on the need for international recognition, accreditation and collaboration with international partners. The consolidation will help align the student output with the needs of the industry and the government of Dubai."

In the next steps the group agreed to meet in two weeks and take the necessary time to commission a consultant who would in concurrence with all parties, devise a model that is best suited for Dubai. There was consensus that the model should be tailored for the long haul and solve the existing aspects in the sector i.e. quality, faculty, facilities and other related issues.