Sharjah: A new Dh610 million budget has been approved for a top Emirati university.

The University of Sharjah’s general budget for the academic year 2012-2013 marks a 20 per cent rise on last year’s allocation.

It was approved in Paris by the university’s Board of Trustees at their 33rd meeting last Sunday.

The funding increase is in response to a rise in the number of students enrolling at the university.

The meeting was chaired by His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of Board of Trustees at the University of Sharjah.

During the key summit, 34 new units including laboratories, research centres and training centres were also approved.

The new units are to be divided into 20 research centres for various disciplines, seven training and research institutes for medicine, engineering and social sciences and seven research labs for science, engineering and medicine.

Dh60 million will be allocated from the budget to finance these 34 units over the next three years.

Shaikh Sultan said he was happy with the university’s development and that it had achieved many of its strategic plan’s goals — two years ahead of its 2014 deadline.

In the coming academic year, student numbers are set to exceed 11,000 across 85 academic programmes ranging from bachelors degrees to doctoral degrees at the university.

The Higher Diploma degree programmes offered by the Community College will see the university offer the largest comprehensive programmes in the UAE.

At the Paris meeting, the board also discussed the planned launch of a new Masters programme.

Set to be the first of its kind in the Middle East, the programme in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, would prepare leaders in medical and health education.

Strategic plans to develop of many of the Community College’s programmes to match the demands of the job market were also discussed.

The importance of providing practical experience and training for students was highlighted.

According to a report presented by Dr. Sami Mahmoud, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah, the average admission grade for high school graduates at the University of Sharjah exceeds 90 per cent.