Zayed University's retreat addresses future priorities

This will help Zayed University achieve its mission at a new, elevated level and prepare students for meaningful and successful 21st century personal and professional lives; to graduate students who will help shape the future of the region and the world; to support the economic and social advancement of the U.A.E.; to lead innovation in higher education through teaching, learning, research, and outreach; and to do so in a culturally diverse, humane, technologically advanced, and increasingly global environment.

The retreat included sessions discussing environmental sciences and public health, mathematics enhancement, Arabic and Islamic studies, arts and design, cultural heritage studies, college and program accreditation, global logistics and supply chain management, distance education and technology, and the establishment of an international center for advanced multi-disciplinary studies.

Dr. Sulaiman Al Jassim Vice President of Zayed University stressed the importance of the retreat as it addressed issues within " The Futures Task Force Report" submitted by a group of consultants who visited ZU's campuses in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to assist in the identification of major priorities for the University's development in the next 3 to 5 years. The Task Force held meetings with administrators, faculty and students, and reviewed a variety of institutional data and previous consultant reports, including the institutional self- study and the report from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in the United States that accredited the University last year.

Dr. Sulaiman summarized the 6 priorities highlighted in the Task Force report:

1- Strengthening the College of Business Sciences as a leader in the U.A.E and Gulf region in providing education for global business careers,
2- Coordinating programs in Art and Design and Communication and Media Sciences to prepare students for leadership roles in the emerging art, design, communication, and media communities in the U.A.E.
3- Coordinating programs in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Art And Design, and Communication and Media Sciences to prepare students for leadership and support roles in the management of the U.A.E's cultural heritage and in the shaping of the cultural district on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi.
4- Strengthening programs in the Natural Sciences and Mathematics to better prepare majors for careers in environmental sciences and public health.
5- Establishing an International Organisation to serve as a focal point and platform for distinguished visiting scholars and international students
6- Positioning Arabic and Islamic Studies to assume a leadership role in the region and internationally through scholarship, global partnerships, and community outreach.

On his part Dr. Daniel Johnson Provost of Zayed University said: "That the ZU Futures Task Force Report urges us to build upon our institutional accreditation and reach boldly for the future, as it's imperative for ZU to seize new opportunities and begin developing immediately with our current assets. The Task Force relied on five principal criteria to identify major university priorities: demonstrated need in the U.A.E and the region, institutional capacity, the likelihood of timely implementation and success, the degree of urgency dictated by accreditation requirements or regional competition, and priorities and expectations of the national leadership."

He explained: "The work on the priorities discussed at the Retreat will continue in "Inter-Collegiate Program (ICP) committees" that include representatives of all concerned parties. They will bring their combined knowledge and experience to bear on the priorities, act only on thorough and sound analysis, and craft proposals for action".

The Provost observed that each ICP will identify the desirable outcome of a program and seek "the best ways for achieving that outcome".

He expressed his commitment to starting only those new programs that ZU's faculty strength can support.

He added: "Already we are preparing to hire faculty for a new Study Center of the Islamic World, an almost fully developed project that will be funded outside the University budget. And, of course, we are headed at varying stages toward disciplinary accreditation in Business, Education, Communications, and Information Technology".