DUBAI - American University in Dubai (AUD) was recently recognised by former American President, Bill Clinton, and the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) for its commitment to offer $26million in scholarship funds for Arab students to pursue media and journalism studies.
The Dubai-based college was also recognised for its efforts to bridge the East and the West and for raising an awareness about the Arab world among American students.
The scholarship funds, granted by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, aims to fund the studies of over 100 outstanding Middle East students annually at the college’s newly-opened Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication (MBRSC). Classes started in September.
“As a university, we have been fortunate to have launched the Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication, which imparts education in journalism, radio, television and cinema studies.
“His Highness Shaikh Mohammed has granted full scholarships for 75 per cent of the Arab students, who will enrol in this programme annually,” said Elias N. Bou Saab, executive vice-president of AUD, who received a certificate of recognition last month from Bill Clinton, the founder of CGI.
CGI brings together global leaders from various backgrounds to find solutions for the world’s most pressing challenges.
The scholarship is expected to cover their tuition fees, accommodation and books for their four-year study period.
“This is very important for the region and the media as we will be selecting some of the top students from the 23 nations in the Arab world and they will be brought to Dubai to study,” he said.
“The ultimate goal is to train students from around the region to become objective, fair and responsible media specialists. Eventually, the new generation of communication experts will help usher in a new era of improved relations between the Arab world and the US,” added Bou Saab, a member of CGI since its inception in 2005.
Bou Saab also opines that such scholarships will discourage students from leaving the region to work abroad.
Besides providing a platform to foster Arab talent, AUD already runs a Clinton Scholars programme, established with the Clinton Foundation, to promote inter-cultural harmony and understanding.
Over 40 American students, otherwise known as Clinton Scholars, from various American universities come on a full scholarship for a semester to learn more about the Middle East and bridge the gap between the East and the West.
“We have made a significant breakthrough here. These students are going back to their home institutions and they are becoming ambassadors of what they have seen in Dubai and the Muslim world,” the official noted.
More colleges are seeking to be accredited on lines of the AUD, Bou Saab added.
Taking into account the academic free zones - Dubai International Academic City and Knowledge Village - have attracted a number of institutions and students making Dubai an international destination for education, Bou Saab stressed the need for research centres.“What is missing in Dubai and the region is the research centres component that should go alongside institutions.
“Usually research centres require financial support from the private sector, if not the government sector.
“That understanding between the private sector and educational institutions is not at a level where it should be,” he said, adding that this needs to be resolved soon to make learning an holistic experience.
Preeti Kannan