Students welcome the branch campuses of foreign universities in Dubai and the chance to go for higher education here itself paying much less than what they have to shell out abroad. AAKANKSHA SINGH finds out their views and worries
The UAE is becoming a hotspot for foreign universities looking to open overseas branches. At the same time, students and others have their own opinion on the growing education opportunities in the country, especially Dubai.
Muhammed Ali, a 21-year-old Bachelor of Business Administration student, states that Dubai is a huge attraction for most students. 'Dubai offers good and inexpensive education. Everyone cannot afford to study in the US or the UK.'
Most students agree that there is great advantage in getting a foreign degree paying much less than elsewhere and without leaving the comfort of their hometown.
With more and more illustrious foreign universities such as Michigan State University and New York Film Academy coming to the UAE, students might very soon be able to find the world's best education right here. However, the number of new colleges also raises some concerns about quality. Nineteen-year-old Natasha Sharma, who is about to go for undergraduate studies, says even though she is very interested in the big names entering the local scene, she is a bit uncertain whether the branch campuses will be of the same standards as the parent universities.
Probably, taking such doubts into consideration, Dubai International Academic City announced a set of stringent criteria for accepting international universities into its community. Only 9.2 per cent of the applicants were accepted in 2007. This step should reassure students in the future.
Dubai's reputation as a melting pot of different cultures also acts as a big incentive to students. As Muhammed Ali explains, 'Young people like me, who have been here for a long time, have developed their own distinct culture. It's a mix of Asian, Western and Arab cultures.'
Sri Lankan media student Aayesha Fahim, 21, says, 'I have lived in Dubai for 10 years. I actually fit in better here than in my own country.' Dubai's unique blend of cultures allows students of various different nationalities to broaden their outlook.
Dubai Knowledge Village and Dubai International Academic City have created a condition where a wide variety of universities are situated in one place. While some appreciate the advantages of the set-up, there are others who see its drawbacks.
'Campus life is completely lacking in the colleges here. Kids who grow up here don't know what they are missing. But some of us are aware,' said 20-year-old undergraduate Business student Mary Ann. She explained how college students in Dubai were losing out on the experience of campus life.
Muhammed Ali agrees, 'Students abroad tend to be more independent. They can survive and take care of themselves better.'
Aruna Kolachina could give a more realistic picture, being a Professor of Psychology at the American College of Dubai as well as the mother of young Mridula who will soon be passing out of school to join college. Asked whether she would prefer her daughter to study here or abroad, she says that she would probably let her study here for a year or two and then send her to a university abroad.
'As a professor, I have seen how kids here are used to being pampered. They don't get the needed exposure needed. They need to learn how to survive on their own. I haven't yet seen the colleges here come up to the level of competitiveness that the colleges in the US, the UK, India or Singapore have,' she says.
Aruna adds that Knowledge Village and Academic City need to be more futuristic in their thinking, allowing universities to create large campuses. 'Financially, Dubai is an excellent option. Dubai has the potential to rival other education hubs in the future but it has a lot of work to do,' she says.
The student body in general seems to share this opinion. Muhammed Ali says Dubai has a long way to go before being able to compete with the universities abroad but Aayesha says that the emirate's potential is not to be forgotten either. Only time will tell whether Dubai becomes a top choice destination for students or not in the future.