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Multiple milestones
Zayed University celebrates receiving international accreditation in its tenth year. Amelia Naidoo reports
- By Amelia Naidoo
- Published: 23:47 August 30, 2008
- Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, President of Zayed University (ZU), attended the convocation at ZU.
- Image Credit: Karl Jeffs/Gulf News
Zayed University (ZU) has every reason to be pleased with itself. As the institution reaches its tenth year, it has also achieved international accreditation, which proves its are of a global standard.
Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and President of ZU, recently inaugurated a convocation ceremony during which the university made the announcement. The annual event was also an occasion to welcome new faculty members and discuss the upcoming academic year.
A launching pad
Shaikh Nahyan congratulated the university on achieving its tenth anniversary milestone, which coincided with its receiving accreditation by the Middle States Association of Higher Education in the United States.
"Ten years is but a moment in historical terms, but in that brief span of years Zayed University has become an essential element of the educational, cultural and social landscape of the United Arab Emirates," he said.
Commenting on the university's international accreditation Shaikh Nahyan said: "It would have been considered presumptuous, perhaps even outlandish, to have asserted in the year of its creation that by the end of its first decade Zayed University would have full international accreditation".
Vice-president Dr Sulaiman Al Jasem said: "We are justifiably proud of the awarding of university accreditation … but we must not rest on this achievement. We must use the accreditation process as a launching pad for future improvement of our university".
Shaikh Nahyan also announced that in addition to the new Dubai campus, which has a capacity of 4,000 students, the new Abu Dhabi campus would be able to accommodate 6,000.
"With the completion of the two campuses and with our decision to begin admitting male students, we'll have a major opportunity to develop and implement an appropriate enrolment and retention plan," said Shaikh Nahyan.
The plan will seek to establish ZU as the university of choice for UAE nationals and non-nationals from the region and beyond, he added.
Focus on leadership
This year ZU welcomed 65 new faculty members; 74 staff and faculty were recognised for completing 10 years of service.
Dr Sana Haroon, lecturer, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, who has been with ZU for a year, said: "I'm excited about this year. There will be changes in the curriculum that I'm looking forward to."
Dr Mohammad Lahkim, faculty at the College of Information Technology, said this year ZU would focus on developing leadership skills "which are very important in the job market".
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