Dubai, UAE: The University of Birmingham welcomed His Excellency Dr Ahmad bin Abdullah Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education for the UAE, to its Dubai campus to discuss the University’s long-term commitment to supporting UAE society, particularly through its teaching and research.
His Excellency Dr Ahmad bin Abdullah Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi met the University’s Vice-Chancellor & Principal Professor Adam Tickell. He also toured the iconic new campus, which was recently shortlisted for the prestigious Prix Versailles architecture award.
The Minister discussed a range of Higher Education issues with Professor Tickell and senior staff at the campus, who also briefed him on the University’s plans to grow both its research and education opportunities in Dubai.
Professor Adam Tickell commented: “We are delighted to welcome His Excellency to campus and outline the University of Birmingham’s long-term commitment to contributing to UAE society – both through in-country partnership in education and areas of research strength that support the National Agenda.
“Our new campus provides students from the UAE and beyond with excellent, innovative facilities and a first-class education from an elite British university. We are proud of our graduates – just as in Birmingham, we want our Dubai students to graduate as high-achieving and employable problem solvers, so we make sure our academic offer delivers the experience every student needs to develop and grow.”
Professor Tickell’s meeting with His Excellency continues the warm relationship between the Ministry of Education and the University of Birmingham, with the Minister having met previously with former Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir David Eastwood.
University of Birmingham Dubai Provost Professor David Sadler commented: “It was a pleasure to discuss with His Excellency how the University of Birmingham Dubai is helping students to prepare for careers that support the UAE’s vision of an exciting future.
“We are training today for the jobs of tomorrow – preparing young people to build the skills and knowledge to supply future industries with a skilled and capable workforce. For example, our new Urban Planning course is well positioned to support the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which will demand the boldest visionaries and innovators.”
Located opposite Dubai’s first purpose-built student housing community, the campus has been home to students since January. It encourages collaboration across academic disciplines, with flexible learning spaces and formal teaching spaces, ensuring teaching and research work in tandem to benefit students.
The campus will eventually be home for around 3,000 students – featuring innovative teaching and research space to encourage cross disciplinary working. Learning spaces incorporate digital technology and a student hub supports student needs across teaching and wellbeing.
The University of Birmingham was the first global top 100 and UK Russell Group university to establish a campus in Dubai in September 2018, offering degrees taught, examined and accredited to the same high standards as those delivered on its UK campus with students receiving a University of Birmingham degree.
The University of Birmingham Dubai already offers a wide range of programmes including Biomedical Science, Accounting, Banking and Finance, International Commercial Law, Business, Economics, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Mechanical Engineering, Construction Management, Psychology, Urban Planning, Water Resources Management and Teacher Training degrees, including Special Educational Needs. The range of degree programmes will continue to grow.
The University’s partnership with Siemens combines digital sensor and analytics technologies, artificial intelligence, decentralised energy generation and storage, renewable energy and concepts that help change users’ behaviour to transform the Edgbaston and Dubai campuses into the world’s smartest global campus, creating a ‘Living Lab’ where research, teaching and learning all benefit from access to new data and connectivity.
The ‘Living Lab’ will capture data from the University’s building technologies, estates infrastructure and energy plants and use it for innovation, R&D activities and teaching. Live data from across the sites provides a unique opportunity for applied learning for students and creates a platform for cutting-edge research.
- The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions, its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries.
- The University of Birmingham was established by Queen Victoria in 1900 as Great Britain’s first civic university, where students from all religions and backgrounds were accepted on an equal basis.
- The University is renowned for its research excellence and its researchers have received 10 Nobel Prizes. From pioneering organ transplants, discovering gravitational waves and furthering understanding of Shakespeare, to developing cures for cancer, advances in robotics and revealing the structure of DNA, the University has been at the forefront of some of the most ground-breaking discoveries of the last 100 years.
- The new campus will initially provide 30,000m2 of teaching and research space, accommodating 3,000 students from across the UAE and beyond.
- TECOM Group is a crucial driver of the rapid growth of Dubai’s knowledge- and innovation-based economy, and has significantly contributed to enhancing the emirate’s attractiveness for some of the world’s top companies and talent. The Group has 10 thriving sector-focused communities, including DIAC.
- The Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is responsible for the growth and quality of private education in Dubai. It supports schools, universities, parents, students, educators, investors and government partners to create a high quality education sector focused on happiness and wellbeing.
- Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), a member of TECOM Group, is the world’s largest free zone dedicated to Higher Education. Established in 2007, DIAC hosts 26 universities from nine countries offering more than 500 undergraduate, post graduate, and PHD programmes to over 25,000 students representing 149 nationalities. Located on a modern campus with state-of-the-art facilities spread across 18 million square feet, DIAC acts as a catalyst for academia in the region and supports the fulfilment of Dubai’s ambition of building a knowledge-based economy through the provision of a wide range of internationally accredited study programmes.
