Rema Menon speaks with professors from the university about their programmes.
Murdoch University International Study Centre (MUISC) Dubai will offer courses in Media, Mass Communication and Business. The first semester is slated to begin at the end of August. A special signing ceremony to mark the partnership agreement was attended on March 5, by Ayoub Kazim, Executive Director of the Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Knowledge Village and Professor Gary Martin, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Faculty, Enterprise and International) of Murdoch University. Based in Perth, Western Australia, Murdoch University is one of the country's leading research universities.
Why Dubai?
"Dubai is a hub for higher education; we have the world's only free zone dedicated to higher education that caters to more than 10,000 students in the region. I am pleased to be here at the launch and we are honoured to partner with Murdoch," Kazim said.
"The university looks forward to building on the particular strengths offered by our partner Global Institute Middle East and I am convinced that together with Murdoch university's academic and research profile, the partnership will enable the University to develop a very strong presence in the Middle East" said Martin.
Raghav Lal, Project Executive of Global Institute Middle East, said: "We shall do everything in our power to make certain that the Dubai Branch acquires the highest level of momentum of continuous progress in fully realising the vision of providing a high quality level of education". An important goal of Murdoch Dubai is to support Dubai's ambitions in providing an ongoing reserve of regional graduates connected to the demands of the regions' booming industries.
"Murdoch University acknowledges the support and foresight of the Dubai Government in providing world-class academic infrastructure to encourage the development of quality higher education and training for the benefit of its workforce" stated Professor Martin. Murdoch University International Study Centre Dubai is expected to attract students from within the UAE, across the Middle East as well as the Subcontinent.
Gary Martin speaks to Notes
Gary Martin, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Faculty, Enterprise and International) of Murdoch University, is responsible for the overall leadership and management of the following offices at Murdoch University: Murdoch International: Educational Partnerships; Prospective Students and Admission Centre; Residential Services; Office of Policy and Planning as well as Alumni, Careers and Employment. The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Enterprise and International) also has the responsibility of coordinating the development and implementation of the university's strategic plan.
Is the degree obtained at MUISC Dubai of equivalent standards to that obtained by students studying in Australia?
The degree awarded in Dubai is exactly the same as the one awarded in Australia. Both campuses have the same admissions requirements, follow an identical academic curriculum, use common faculty and offer the same careers service and student service support.
How qualified are MUISC lecturers?
Lecturers are carefully selected from a pool of experienced and highly qualified professionals. Murdoch Australia must also approve all lecturers before they are allowed to teach in the programme. Usually, they are academics from local tertiary institutions or practitioners with extensive experience from the industry. They must hold a recognised Master's Degree and above in order to undertake any Bachelor's programme.
Are the degrees accredited by the Council for Academic Accreditation?
Murdoch Dubai has gone through the stringent requirements of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), and we have met all the necessary requirements and quality standards. We are approved by KHDA.
What are the entry requirements and when does the first batch start?
The entrance requirements in Dubai mirror those of Murdoch Australia. We will not compromise on quality. Our students here will be able to move to Australia or any of our other centers based in Singapore, Malaysia or Japan for a study abroad semester.
What happens if students don't meet the admission criteria?
We will accommodate student needs but will not compromise on quality. We have pathways to ensure admission standards are met with. We will offer Foundation courses for those students who do not meet academic or English requirements.
How many students will you accept in the first year?
We plan to enroll around 120 students to begin with. In Singapore, we began with 20 students and grew to a 1,000 in four years.
Will Australian students come to the Dubai campus?
Dubai is poised to continue to grow and this makes it an attractive destination for Australian students. Both faculty and students from the Australian campus or any of our centres will be welcomed on a reciprocal basis.
Murdoch is reputed for its research; will there be any research based courses or certificate courses?
To begin with, we will be offering courses in Media and Commerce but research will definitely be an area we can collaborate on in the future. We would also be offering certificate courses to meet local needs. We want to train a new generation of professionals and aim to set standards of excellence in the region.
— The writer is the Director of Counselling Point Educational and Social services.
