UAE universities reopen online, some with hybrid class, temporary relocation options

Dubai: While most UAE universities are resuming classes online after spring break today, some higher education institutions with residential campuses have introduced hybrid learning arrangements and temporary relocation provisions, ensuring that students, whether in their hostels or back home, could continue without disruption.

The extension of distance learning for two weeks after a one-week early spring break was announced last week by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. However, the authorities had also made it clear that private schools, nurseries, and universities may submit requests to return to in-person learning based on operational and educational needs.

With international students living on campus and faculty members spread across time zones, some universities have crafted flexible frameworks that acknowledged the complexity on the ground.

Temporary relocation provision

At Heriot-Watt University Dubai, online learning is resuming from March 23 until April 5, with all coursework, assessments, and student services transferred to remote delivery. Prof Lynne B Jack, Deputy Vice Principal, said the university had also introduced a temporary relocation provision for colleagues intending to travel internationally.

"Currently, the university is fully supportive of remote working arrangements, and we expect that a portion of our student and staff communities are working and learning from overseas," she said.

“Our priority is to ensure flexibility, well-being, and uninterrupted academic progression for all students.”

Prof Jack added that the university had aligned its teaching, assessment, and support frameworks to meet emerging needs, ensuring that all student services, academic support, and administrative functions continued to operate remotely, delivering "a seamless, consistent experience for our students, regardless of their location."

International students

For Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, the needs of its international student body have been front and centre throughout the transition. Chancellor Nathalie Martial-Braz said the university had communicated clearly with students even before the spring break began, informing them that they would not be required to modify their travel arrangements, and extending the return deadline to April 5 to allow for a gradual and safe return.

"As an international university, it is essential for us to continue, alongside the UAE, to ensure pedagogical continuity for all our students, and in particular for our international students," she said.

"Some of the students were abroad during the spring break, while others remained on campus or connected with Sorbonne Université. Our responsibility is to maintain this academic link regardless of location."

Martial-Braz said the university also has a range of support services in place for students on campus, including psychological wellbeing support, access to the campus clinic, residence support teams, and academic assistance.

Check-ins, wellbeing activities

At Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) Dubai, a hybrid learning option had already been in place, said Dr Sudhindra Shamanna, Pro Vice Chancellor.

"We had already provided a hybrid learning option until April 15 and continue to be guided by the ministry and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). We remain in regular contact with regulators to ensure our information comes from authorised sources.

He said students abroad could continue seamlessly through online platforms, while residential students in hostels were being supported through regular check-ins, wellbeing activities, virtual fitness sessions, and student-led engagement.

"Our goal is to ensure academic continuity while keeping students supported, connected, and comfortable," he said.

Similarly, at BITS Pilani Dubai Campus, the institute has provided flexibility for students and faculty to extend their stay abroad for the duration of the online learning period, while requiring them to keep the institute informed of their current location.

Prof Souri Banerjee, Director, described the transition as smooth, noting the campus had leveraged its "strong digital readiness to ensure seamless academic continuity and a superior learning experience."

No mandatory return

Across institutions, a common message has emerged: there is no requirement for students or faculty to return to the UAE while classes remain online, though they are expected to stay in touch with their institutions and follow official advisories.

Dr Anita Patankar, Executive Director of Symbiosis International University Dubai, said the university had robust systems in place, including live and recorded lecture formats, established learning management systems, and trained faculty, to ensure continuity regardless of where students and staff happened to be.

“While in-person learning remains important for holistic development, universities fully understand that such decisions are made with safety and continuity in mind. The focus across the sector has been clear: to ensure that academic quality, student engagement, and learning outcomes remain uncompromised. As a result, institutions have come together and adapted seamlessly to distance and hybrid models, ensuring that learning continues without disruption,” said Dr Patankar.

She clarified that there is no mandatory requirement for students or faculty to return to the UAE if classes are being conducted online. “However, the decision to travel remains a personal choice,” she said.

Krishna Kumar C Negade, Senior Director of Student Recruitment at Amity University, echoed this, confirming that where programmes continue online, "there is no immediate requirement for faculty or students to return to the UAE."

He added that flexibility had been incorporated into teaching delivery, attendance, and assessments to accommodate those currently abroad.

“What has become evident over time is that distance learning is no longer seen as a stop‑gap measure, but as a complementary mode of delivery, most effective when integrated thoughtfully through well‑designed blended models.”

Prepared for the long haul

Leaders across the higher education sector are largely optimistic about the sector's capacity to weather the extension of online learning. Dr Patankar noted that institutions today are "far more equipped than before, “supported by robust digital infrastructure, trained faculty, and structured online delivery models."

Negade, drawing on more than two decades of his experience in UAE higher education, pointed to the country's track record of turning disruption into progress: from the 2008 financial crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic and the record rains of April 2024.

"Dubai's academic hubs now bring together a broad set of leading international universities and continue to grow their student body from a wide range of nationalities. I'm proud to be part of a system that consistently turns disruption into progress for our students and families,” he said.

Meanwhile, Prof Jack also took a moment to acknowledge the role of the authorities, saying their "proactive and measured response and timely decision-making and clear communication" had provided reassurance to institutions and enabled universities to "plan effectively and respond with confidence during this period."

Speaking about students awaiting a return to campus life, Martial-Braz added: "We look forward to the moment when conditions allow us to welcome all our students back safely to campus. That return will be essential — not only academically but also humanly — because universities are places of encounter, dialogue, and shared experience."