Coursera, Inc. (NYSE: COUR), one of the world’s largest online learning platforms, has announced its partnership with Canadian University Dubai (CUD), the number one higher education institution in Dubai. The collaboration will equip the university’s students with the necessary skills for in-demand jobs through Career Academy from Coursera, a new career training academy that provides skills training and entry-level Professional Certificates from the world's leading companies including Google, IBM, and Meta.
Becoming the first private university in the UAE to adopt Career Academy from Coursera, CUD further fortifies its standing in the industry as an institution committed to equipping students with work-related skills to help graduates secure good jobs.
Designed to empower students with a competitive advantage in the fast-evolving digital work environment, the collaboration will provide students with the opportunity to learn cutting-edge skills, including entrepreneurial, digital, and technology competencies, earn professional Certificates from the world’s leading companies, access hands-on learning with Guided Projects to master skills and stand out with employers, and explore the right career path.
Prof. Karim Chelli, President and Vice-Chancellor of CUD, remarked, “We are delighted to embark on this partnership with Coursera to provide new opportunities for our graduates to stand out in the job market. Students will now have the chance to gain industry-recognized professional certifications at no additional cost during their final year of study. Combining these practical qualifications with a world-class degree will give CUD graduates a head start when exploring employment and career development opportunities.”
Kais Zribi, General Manager for the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey at Coursera said: “We are honored to join hands with one of the UAE’s leading universities that share our goal to support the country in its ambition of building a digital economy led by an equipped and skilled workforce. Canadian University Dubai has set a benchmark in the league of world-class institutions with its progressive approach to delivering high-quality education, and together we will unlock learning opportunities that would enable the next generation of the country’s talent to thrive in the competitive global work realm.”
Learners enrolled in Career Academy from Coursera will be able to earn entry-level Professional Certificates from industry leaders including Google, IBM, and Meta, to prepare for 18 in-demand careers such as Data Analyst, UX Designer, Application Developer, and Social Media Marketer, among others. Participants have the flexibility to learn at their own pace, fully online across the web and mobile, and can also explore different career paths with an overview of common job titles, skill requirements, and salary insights.
Additionally, Career Academy from Coursera will allow students to gain real-world experience with Guided Projects to develop key skills in under 2 hours. For example, an aspiring Data Analyst can practice SQL, Python, and Tableau, while UX Designers can build projects using Figma and Adobe Creative Cloud. With hands-on learning and interactive assessments, students will be able to apply essential skills by working with real-world industry tools to help them stand out to employers during interviews and on the job.
The Coursera-Canadian University Dubai partnership is the latest milestone in Coursera’s rapid growth across the Middle East and North Africa. As of June 2022, Coursera supports the skills development of 681K learners in the UAE, and more than 6.2 million learners across the Middle East and North Africa. This total includes over 320K new registered Coursera learners across the region in Q2 of 2022.
