UAEU appoints new cohort of teaching assistants

Al Ain: Stepping up its Emiratisation efforts, the UAE University has been training Emirati graduates as teaching assistants who will continue their future studies to join the academic cadre.

The university has currently been preparing to send eight such teaching assistants to different universities abroad for the completion of their higher studies, said an official of the UAEU.

“The programme aims at appointing local graduates as faculty members and delegate them to study Masters and Doctorates in different specialisations to join the university as faculty members,” he said, adding that the university has taken in some more teaching assistants.

Dr Ali Rashid Al Noaimi, vice-chancellor of the UAEU, recently met with the teaching assistants for the academic year 2012-2013. The meeting was also attended by Professor Mohammad Yousuf Baniyas, provost and chief academic officer, who congratulated them for their efforts and acceptance as teaching assistants at UAE.

“[The] UAEU applies criteria and standards for the recruitment of faculty members in which scientific distinction and qualifications come on the top in order to achieve goals of [the] university plans related to Emiratisation of faculty members,” said Dr Al Noaimi.

According to its policies, he said, the university selects leading international universities for the teaching assistants to pursue studies as well as advise them to choose majors that meet the society’s needs.

The programme assists in the graduation of approximately 300 Emirati faculty members, of which two-thirds are employed currently at the university while the rest are working in other national organisations, he said.