Emirati minister outlines higher education strategy

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), has commended the efforts of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his brother Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Their Highnesses Rulers of the Emirates. Sheikh Hamdan also praised His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. His comments came during an expanded meeting yesterday with academic leaders and faculty members at the UAE University. He highlighted the development paths and methodology for developing the institutional work of the University in the next phase, through the strategic plan for the period from 2014 to 2016. He said this does not only come by developing the capacity of scientific research and innovation in the national, regional and academic excellence fields of top priority but also by strengthening the role of the University in the transfer of knowledge and skills to serve the community, ensuring the provision of all administrative services in accordance with standards of quality, efficiency, and transparency. Sheikh Hamdan announced a number of key objectives to produce graduate leaders and pioneers in their fields, including those related to the development and support of innovation in education, based on the development of methods and the use of varied and innovative means to improve the educational process. Sheikh Hamdan added that the first goal of the University is to prepare and qualify graduates able to drive labour markets, adding that in this regard the University is responsible for finding suitable outstanding graduates. The second objective of this vision is to develop the capacity of scientific research and innovation, of importance to the nation and the region, which is based on the institutional capacity to meet research needs of the state. He concluded by saying that the third goal is to achieve academic excellence according to the standards of institutional accreditation to ensure that measures of academic output keep pace with international levels.