The latest addition to the international universities in Dubai is the Canada-based University of Waterloo. The university, based in Ontario, has over 25,000 students on its home campus and is known for its engineering programmes. The university is bringing the programmes here in September and will operate from Dubai Men's College, Dubai International Academic City, until the university's campus in Abu Dhabi is ready.
"We decided to go global and we examined opening branches in the region. We finally chose the UAE because of its high level of graduates, the tolerant environment and its openness to different nationalities and the good facilities," said Dr Magdy Salama, director of the University of Waterloo Campus in the UAE and professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering on the home campus.
Majors offered
Two majors will be offered in Dubai: engineering and business. Salama said that this is in accordance with the labour market in Dubai. "Chemical and civil engineering programmes will start next autumn while financial analysis and risk management and IT management will be added in the near future," he said. "We are expecting about 50 to 60 students per programme, and registration is open."
HCT plays host
The University of Waterloo will be based in Dubai Men's College for the next couple of years. Students will be able to use the facilities offered by the college. "The University of Waterloo (UW) and the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) have developed a partnership to establish a UW campus in the UAE. The HCT will provide administrative and technical support and campus infrastructure through its commercial arm, the Centre of Excellence for Research and Training (CERT). The campus will offer the University of Waterloo programmes identical to those offered in Canada and delivered by the UW's own professors," he said.
Why Waterloo?
According to Magdy, in the past 12 years the University of Waterloo has been ranked 1st for engineering in Canada and one of the top 30 worldwide. Salama said that a unique aspect of the university is its 'co-op system' in which students study during their first semester and then work for another semester. "The most important thing our students should know is that they don't look for jobs. We coordinate with companies and secure their jobs," he said.
Tuition fees and scholarships
The tuition fee for the programmes is Dh72,000 per year. Students are eligible for a foundation scholarship: "The scholarship name is "Founder Scholarship" and there are six: three for each section (chemical and civil engineering) and its values are as follows (two of each): Dh20,000 , Dh15,000, Dh10,000," Salama said. n The requirements and more information on the university can be found on the university's website http://www.uae.uwaterloo.ca
