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CHALLENGES OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE)

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December 2014 Vol - 2 Issue- 12

CHALLENGES OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE)

Mr. Ahmed Sebihi1

Faculty member, American University in The Emirates, College of Education, Dubai
1.

International Academic City, P.O. Box: 503000, Dubai, UAE

ABSTRACT

H igher education is a priority sector in the UAE where Government treats it with so
much preference that it has a dedicated Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific
Research (MOHESR). However, from an objective perspective, despite the efforts, higher education
still faces challenges; most significant being: (1) speed in technical and scientific excellence, a
challenge posed by developed countries (2) aligning graduates with the labor market (3) the
challenge of meeting and keeping up with educational strategic needs of a frequently evolving
sector (4) dislocation between universities programs offered and requirements of UAE labor
market and (5) weaknesses in existing government database. Most of these challenges can be
easily overcome by more efficient coordination between policy and practice. In this paper, the
following principles and approaches are strongly put forward as solutions to aligning educational
policy goals in the UAE: (a) Quarterly sub-review of curriculum and harmonizing all reviews by
end of each year (b) tailoring courses offered by tertiary institutions to the Labor market (c)
establishment of concrete collaboration between schools of higher learning and Labor market
(d) empowering the appropriate authority in doing more in the area of database update and (e)
accelerating development in technical and scientific education with the view of attaining
excellence. These new strategies, if adopted, would (a) throw overboard the hurdles preventing
wider expansion in the education sector (b) create a situation where graduates from schools of
higher learning would suit demands of UAE labor market. (c) Higher education students would
be more motivated to work towards their respective carriers seeing the harmony in their studies
and macro-economy viz-a-vis society (d) attaining excellence in technology and science would
be the order of the day, hence, moving at pace with developed countries. This paper concludes by
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cautioning that potential obstacles foreseen in achieving the outlined goals are very minimal on
condition that the appropriate oversight organization is adequately resourced and empowered
to be effective and efficient.
KEYWORDS: Higher Education, Engineering, Modern Technology, Self-Employment.

HIGHER EDUCATION CHALLENGES Challenges identified by this

Higher education is defined by United research are discussed thus:-
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Higher Education participation is on
Organization (UNESCO) and the Organization the go in UAE. For instance, there was rise from
for Economic Co-operation and Development 185 in the year 2000 to 25% in 2008.( 20
(OECD) as the education imparted in the UNESCO 2009 World Conference on Higher
universities, colleges of technology, and other Education. Trends in Global Higher Education:
institutions of post-secondary education and Tracking an Academic Revolution). Despite this
includes all research institutes, experimental appreciable rise in enrolment in higher
stations, and clinics operating under the direct education, it is unfortunate that technical and
control of or administered by or associated with scientific education do witness less patronage
higher education institutions (OECD 2002). from students both UAE national and
Assigning the whole portfolio expatriates. The commission for Academic
exclusively in the name of Higher Education Accreditation CAA report 2011-2012 has
and Scientific Research in UAE, is indeed a clear revealed that: 50% of students enrolled in UAE
indication of the unreserved commitment from Higher Education pursue degrees in business
the side of the government to reaching high in or engineering fields; 60% of the accredited
this area indispensable area of human academic offerings of higher education
endeavor. Both Emirates Competitiveness providers are in business, engineering and
Council (ECC) and National Qualifications health sciences; 60% of the UAE nationals
Authority (NQA) in their recent reports; The studying abroad enroll in business
Heart of Competitiveness: Higher Education administration or engineering programs. It is
Creating the UAE’s Future, Issue 6, and April a clear manifest that science and technology
2014 and UAE Education System: Overview of education is at the rear in terms of participation
Performance in Education February 2013 by the students in the institution of higher
respectively, have made mention of numerous learning. Reaching the zenith of development
achievements witnessed so far in the arena of and rubbing shoulders with the world think-
Higher Education in UAE. It would be interesting tank can only be achieved through
to know that they have hitherto acknowledge advancement in these areas of human endeavor
some challenges needed to be addressed with which is at the receiving end in UAE higher
the sole purpose of realizing the dream of UAE education. Survey studies have revealed that
Vision 2021 to make the country a leading students enrolling in higher education do avoid
nation in the world. This is a good signal technical and scientific courses due to the
indicating willingness to make amends to the critical thinking involvement much needed in
identified lapses proven beyond reasonable these fields. They do prefer courses they
doubts. describe in their submissions as cheap and soft,
involving less critical thinking and less time
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EPRA International Journal of Economic and Business Review
consuming as well. Through the research it education is hardly available at degree level
was also realize, quite a number of students contrary to the former. And it does happen that
and even most of the members of the public the candidates and their guardians aim at
faulted the idea of categorizing engineering courses offered at degree level or their wards
under non-technical courses. should obtain degree.
According to encyclopedia Britannica Likewise, scientific education does get
2014, “Technical Education, the academic and similar treatment from students. This is a field
vocational preparation of students for jobs of education that involves in-depth research
involving applied sciences and modern leading to a breakthrough innovation.
technology. It emphasizes the understanding Second issue posing challenge to the
and practical application of basic principles of Higher Education in UAE is failure to match
science and mathematics rather than the the graduates with the labor market demand.
attainment of proficiency in manual skills that The first challenge discussed above leads to this
is properly the concern of vocational education. problem. OECD report 2012 put forward that
Technical education has as its objectives the close examination and analysis of the higher
preparation of graduates for occupations that education programs offered in UAE by
are classed above the skilled crafts but below accredited institutions revealed an obviously
the scientific and engineering professions. existing gap between higher education
People so employed are frequently called institutions and the skill needs of employers.
technicians”. From this definition, it will be Clear cut demarcation between rational reason
clear that attainment of greatness in the of why one is enrolling in higher education and
modern technology requires technical the designated outcome markedly exists among
education. Majority of students enrolling in students of institutions of higher learning. Not
only in the name of aiming to be employed, the
courses for instance engineering are doing so
issue of self-employment should also come
with the sole aim of being recognized as
under scrutiny. So the markets do really suffer
professionals and from another angle it could
from this negative aspect.
be realized that placement of the two
The daily evolving sectors do also pose
individuals, one in engineering and the other
challenge to higher education again. Ability of
in in technical education is not the same, for
the institution to withstand this challenge by
engineer as a professional usually has the
updating curricula to meet up those challenges
higher placement that the latter when it comes
is inevitable for taking higher education to the
to field of work. This is also another subtle factor next level. Research has shown that in the part
making a great deal of students to be placing of the institution while making effort by some
more preference to engineering courses for of them to come with new disciplines in order
example to technical courses. The same story to stand the test of new world order,
applies to scientific education as well. It is good discouragement through non-participation by
to know but simultaneously disheartening that the students in those newly developed courses
usual technical education is being considered is painstaking factor of challenge. On the other
as an alternative for people that failed to make side of the coin, the instructors and/or the
it to professional courses and even Arts, Social institution concerned actually render little or
sciences, Administrative and Management no effort in dusting off the misunderstandingof
courses. In the candidates’ perception, technical the students. So it usually ends up by having
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 e- ISSN : 2347 - 9671 p - ISSN : 2349 - 0187 Mr. Ahmed Sebihi
exodus of students from those courses to the to her citizen and even international
so called popularly known courses. Usually a students to work together with the
seemingly a form of compromise do exists here. nationals in a common sphere as
Thinking of the income that could be lost if complementary unit of a single
students are not admitted for their chosen fields indivisible organism. Therefrom
of study is a hindering factor towards putting a interest in the enrolment in the field
stop to this culture. would skyrocket beyond the level of
Other challenges include dislocation expectations, hence the ultimate
between universities programs offered and breakthrough in term of further
requirements of UAE labor market as development. Researches done by those
deliberated above and weaknesses in existing scholars on scholarships would be
government database thereby the relevant beneficial.
authority not mounting due surveillance to  In case of self-sponsored individuals,
check this problem and making sure of the higher institutions of learning via
unconditional compliance to the provisions government instruction should make
thereto. those courses cheaper, hence the
Solutions towards square-facing and expunging increase in the level of enrolment.
the listed challenges are summarized below:- CONCLUSION
 It is indeed a great achievement for the The UAE government has what it takes
UAE to have separate body with full to achieve her vision of 2021 in higher
portfolio overseeing the affairs of education sector due to the spectacular effort
higher education. This makes it much made. For the relevant authority to have
easier for implementing the acknowledged some lapses despite
amendments and realizing positive achievement, indeed it is a spectacular call to
outcome with greater efficiency. The duty and readiness to check those lapses.
government should prescribe same or Certainly, if the gap between the higher
even a better treatment to the education and labor market is addressed, there
individuals with technical education. will be a vibrant showcase of unprecedented
Thereby, treatment in the market achievement. Addressing the dichotomy
should be strictly based on what one can between technical and professional courses
offer. What are the innovations one can would ultimately help in addressing the
bring forth? Definitely this would make challenges.
REFERENCES
candidate for higher education to start 1. UNESCO 2009 World Conference on Higher Education.
having rethink. Enlightment is an Trends in Global Higher Education: Tracking an
indispensable ingredient to realizing Academic Revolution
that. Publicizing achievements attained 2. The UAE Education System: Overview of Performance in
Education, United Arab Emirates, Natioanl Qualification
or innovations brought forth by Authority, February 2013.
technical education sectors would 3. Policy in Action: Emirate Competitiveness Council: The
definitely make it an attaractive sector Heart of Competitiveness: Higher Education Creating
the UAE’s Future; issue 06, April 2014.
for the youth. This is different from the 4. UNESCO UIS, Global Education Digest 2009, Comparing
traditional practice of annual rewards Education Statistics Across the World
given to the achievers in professional 5. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development, OECD 2012, Better skills, better jobs,
fields only. better lives: a strategic approach to skills policies, http:/
 The government should give
/www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/better-skills-better-
scholarships in those areas of interest jobs-better-lives_9789264177338-en
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