DUBAI - A new board has been set up in Dubai to monitor and license higher education institutes in the emirate’s free zones.
The body that overlooks education in the emirate, Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), announced yesterday that the new board, University Quality Assurance International Board (UQAIB), will license all new and existing colleges and universities in the free zones, after reviewing their quality.
There will be a licensing fee. However, the board is still deliberating on the amount.
Dr Warren Fox, executive director of the newly set-up Higher Education body and chair of UQAIB, told Khaleej Times, “All institutes would be reviewed thoroughly to check the quality of their programmes, faculty and admissions. Institutes with branch campus will also be monitored to check if the quality is in accordance with their home campus.”
The board will also ensure that all international higher education institutions in Dubai’s free zones are properly accredited in their home country, or conform to international and the emirate’s standards.
Dr Fox didn’t rule out the possibility of de-licensing of institutes if they didn’t adhere to the set standards. The board will annually review the standards of the institutes and make recommendations if they are not in tune with the board’s standards.
KT had reported in November last that KHDA was mooting the idea of setting up this body, besides offering scholarships for the first time to wards of long-time expat residents in the emirate, to pursue higher education in Dubai or abroad.
Dr Abdulla Al Karam, KHDA’s Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director-General, told reporters, “We are ensuring that Dubai has the right quantity and quality of graduates. Presently, there are 24,000 students studying in Dubai and by 2010, the student population is predicted to grow to 90,000. We need to bring in more students to the country and also attract Arab students from our neighbouring countries.”
Officials said that institutes could advertise in future that they have been licensed by KHDA.
However, the issue of federal accreditation still remains a grey area, as institutes in the free zones are not required to be accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education’s Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA).
Dr Fox told KT, “We want to complement what the federal government is doing. We have good institutions and if some problem develops, we will speak to the institute.”
He added that institutes were free to be accredited by CAA or other international bodies of their choice.
Institutes in the Knowledge Village, Dubai International Academic City, Dubai International Financial Centre free zone, Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai Healthcare City will fall under the new board’s purview.
By Preeti Kannan (Our staff reporter)