Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Sunday, February 1st 2015 [ME NewsWire]
Speaking
at Michigan State University’s (MSU) third Dubai International
Conference in Higher Education, Dr. Ayoub Kazim, Managing Director of
TECOM Education Cluster, emphasised the three components critical for
success when setting up an international branch campus (IBC);
comprehensive due diligence, seamless operations, and sustainability
were identified as crucial elements in the IBC model .
“Extensive
research into the local educational landscape is an integral preparatory
step for any university looking to set up an IBC”, said Dr. Ayoub
during his keynote presentation on first day of the conference.
“International
recognition remains the single most important criteria for students
when choosing a country and institution, according to the QS World Grad
School Tour Survey, so IBCs remain a huge draw for transnational
students to the UAE. 19 per cent of the global IBC pool has chosen the
UAE as their secondary habitat and with this number set to continue to
rise, it is vital that we have the resources to accommodate an ongoing
influx of word-class educational institutions to the region.
“Younger
applicants are also more likely to be motivated by employment and
career prospects, thus preferring to stay on in the destination country
to work after graduation. So ensuring that universities are aligned with
current industry skills gaps is also a core focus for the education
sector.
“I am proud to be part of MSU’s higher education conference
as it enters its third year. It provides an important platform for
industry leaders to convene and discuss academic sector issues of
significance,” he continued.
MSU’s three-day conference brings
together higher education representatives from across the globe to
participate in a dynamic and interactive forum. The event focuses on
three main themes: education, employability, and employment; maintaining
quality while widening access; and innovation in teaching and learning.
To
remain competitive in the 21st century, higher education institutions
should focus on three key areas. Firstly, they must demonstrate their
relevance to the needs of the workforce in a landscape of constant and
rapid economic and social change. Secondly, they must maintain the
rigorous academic standards that are the hallmark of a quality
institution. And thirdly, with the accelerating power and reach of the
web, it is important that universities embrace technological innovation,
incorporating it into their traditional business models to create a
more contemporary and holistic learning experience for students.
“We
welcomed delegates from over twenty countries at this year’s conference
under the theme of ‘Relevance and Rigor’. We are challenging
universities to demonstrate that they are meeting the needs of the
workforce in a landscape of constant and rapid economic and social
change, whilst still maintaining the rigorous academic standards that
are a hall mark of any quality institution,” said Dr. Tessa Dunseath,
Executive Director, Michigan State University in Dubai, at the
conference.
- Ends -
Notes to editors:
About Dubai International Academic City
Dubai
International Academic City (DIAC) is the world’s largest Free Zone
dedicated to Higher Education. Established in 2007, as part of TECOM
Investments – a member of Dubai Holding – DIAC aims to develop the
region’s talent pool and help establish the UAE as a knowledge-based
economy through the provision of multi-tiered academic institutions that
are internationally accredited.
DIAC is located on a fully-appointed
18 million sq ft campus with state-of-the-art facilities. It is home to
a large number of universities from 10 countries, including Amity
University, Heriot-Watt University, Michigan State University,
University of Wollongong, BITS Pilani, Hult International Business
School, Murdoch University, and Manchester Business School, to name a
few.
DIAC provides more than 400 certificate, diploma, undergraduate,
post graduate and PHD programmes to over 20,000 students of 125
nationalities.
Contacts
Harriet Daly, Bell Pottinger:
+971 55 4593260
hdaly@bellpottinger.com
Brendan Vyner, Brand Manager,
TECOM Investments Education Cluster
+971 4 360 2960
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