Global Arab Network | UAE: Ras Al Khaimah Mastering the Education Business

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UAE: Ras Al Khaimah Mastering the Education Business

Thursday, 28 January 2010 11:32

A thousand years ago, the Arabian cities of Damascus, Baghdad and Cairo were the undisputed capitals of higher education. The cities attracted students from distant countries, fostering a creative dialogue that led to unprecedented scientific advances. Today, the Crown Prince and deputy ruler of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al Qasimi, has expressed a desire to return the Arab world to a position of prominence in the field of education. In a statement at the ribbon-cutting of RAK's Medical and Health Sciences University in October, Sheikh Saud affirmed his intention "to make the UAE, and RAK in particular, a preferred destination for higher education."

Sheikh Saud's comments build on a three-year legacy of investment in higher education, which started in 2006 with the establishment of RAK Education Company (EDRAK). A joint stock firm that lists the government as a founding partner, EDRAK set out to invest more than Dh1bn ($272m) in the near term to expand the emirate's academic offerings. The year 2008 saw the creation of the Dh3.7bn ($1bn) Education Park in RAK's free-trade zone, built for both domestic and foreign education providers.

Early beneficiaries of EDRAK's largesse include UK-based Bolton University and Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutritional Science. Bolton has established a satellite campus in RAK with generous subsidies and land grants in the Education Park, while the Friedman School is working in partnership with RAK's homegrown Medical and Health Sciences University.

Dr Eileen Kennedy, the dean of the Friedman School, was quoted as saying that, "In all our international dealings, we have never seen the level and speed of commitment that we have seen here in RAK from HH Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, and the Investment and Development Office."

The natural question, however, is whether RAK's schools can deliver the kind of results its rulers hope for. Can the new initiatives in RAK guarantee innovation and development? And if results do not come quickly, will investment from the public and private sectors keep flowing in?

Industry insiders say that efforts are being made to improve the quality of education, not just the quantity of students in schools. The historical method of rote instruction - where students are encouraged to memorise and regurgitate information - is being replaced by a more dynamic approach that encourages critical thinking. More funding is also being dedicated to research rather than vocational training programmes, with the aim of training a class of creative entrepreneurs that will create jobs within the country.

Like many of its neighbours, RAK is eager to diversify its economy. Education, especially higher education, is seen as integral to the development of the work force and as such is a key ingredient in the push for diversification.

Outside the classroom, RAK is seen as more conducive to student life than its neighbours in the UAE. Cheaper rent, proximity to outdoor recreation, and a more diversified economy than the oil-rich emirates, provide a quality of living - and prospect of future employment - that is attractive to students.

At the moment, the architects of university curricula could be said to have their eyes on the globe but their feet squarely in RAK. The majority of degree programmes are aimed at an international audience - instruction and certification is usually in English - but with an emphasis on equipping students to deal with regional issues. Students at the Medical and Health Sciences University, for example, are encouraged to address the nutrition and lifestyle-related problems of the region in their research.

Regardless of who makes up the student body, there is ample reason to believe that investment will continue to flow into the education sector. Thanks to this, RAK and the region are one step closer to becoming a "preferred destination for higher education".

Global Arab Network

This article is published in partnership with Oxford Business Group

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Published comments are the opinions of private individuals and do not reflect the views of Global Arab Network