MIDDLE EAST, UAE, UAEU Teaching Assistants Emiratization Program Expands

UAE: In order to develop the Emiratization of the academic cadre at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) , the Department of Teaching Assistants Affairs at UAEU established a preparatory program for new Teaching Assistants. The aim of the program is to appoint local graduates who have the desire to pursue higher education and work in academia as faculty members while they are studying their masters and doctorates.

H.E. Dr. Ali Rashid Al Noaimi, UAEU Vice Chancellor met the new batch of Teaching Assistants for the academic year 2012-2013 and congratulated them for their distinctive efforts and acceptance as Teaching Assistants at UAEU. He urged them to continue research and study in their future academic journey and to be role models for the distinctive Emirati academic cadre.

Dr. Al Noaimi explained, “UAEU applies criteria and standards for the recruitment of faculty members in which scientific distinction and qualifications are a top priority in order to achieve the goals of the University’s plans related to Emiratization of faculty members. UAEU ensures that the graduates are suitably prepared and provided with necessary training to be able to carry out the education mission of UAEU. According to its policies, the University selects leading international universities for the Teaching Assistants to pursue graduate studies as well as advices them to choose majors which meet the needs of our society. The program has so far assisted in the graduation of approximately 300 Emirati faculty members, in which two-thirds are currently employed at the University while the rest are working in other national organizations.”

Prof. Mohamed Yousif Baniyas, Provost, indicated “UAEU encourages the students to complete their graduate studies at international universities as this further broadens their educational and scientific experience. Following the directives of H.H. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, UAEU Chancellor, for UAEU to become a research university ranked as one of the pioneer international universities, the first PhD program in the UAE was approved on 30 March 2009 and implemented in January 2010 with the registration of 38 students as first cohort. The number of students currently registered at the University PhD program reached 105 students with 41 Emirati students. Specialization of PhD programs offered at the University are within the Colleges of: Engineering, Medicine, Public Sciences, Agriculture, Humanities and Social Sciences and Education. They are distributed in about 280 research fields. The internal scholarship is a 3-4 years study period for each program. An amount of AED 4,280,000 was approved to fund 85 students research projects related to PhD programs.”

“UAEU management is intensifying its efforts at all colleges and departments to promote the quality and quantity of scientific programs offered in graduate studies to meet the needs of the job market in UAE. UAEU also offered Masters programs which reached at the beginning of this current academic year, 11 different programs, in which 7 are new and were approved at the last second semester.” Prof. Baniyas added.

The new cohort includes eight new Teaching Assistants who were prepared and trained at the University to be assigned to overseas universities.