UK’s loss could be the UAE’s gain in education
Tighter immigration policies, post-Brexit fears and the abolition of post-study work visas are affecting the flow of students to UK universities, which opens opportunities for UAE institutions. Sponsored visa applications have dropped by two per cent during the year ending June, 2016, and at the same time, the number of Indian students applying for higher education in the UK has dipped by 10 percent.
These developments could make UAE universities a major draw for students from South Asia and beyond. Though the temporary fall in the UK pound does make it slightly cheaper to live in the UK, the political and economic uncertainty, dominated by the growing rhetoric on immigration, has forced many students to look for alternatives.
According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, there were 436,585 foreign students studying for various programmes in the United Kingdom during 201415. Of this number, there were 89,540 Chinese, 18,320, 17,060 Malaysian, Indian, 8,595 Saudi and 7,295 Pakistani students. The drop in these numbers in 2016 has led to competition between universities in Australia, Canada and North America to lure students from these countries.
The UAE is a new entrant in the global higher education market, but the geographic, economic and cultural proximity of South Asian countries to the Gulf region could make it a natural choice for students from there, provided there are appealing pull factors to attract and sustain interest in this potential market.
Dubai has established itself as a regional hub for tourism and trade, and with renewed focus on knowledge economy of which higher education is a significant sector, it needs to develop an educational ecosystem that offers students a viable alternative to travelling to the UK.
Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) and Dubai Knowledge Park (DKP) focus on knowledge and skill enhancement. The DIAC hosts 23 global academic
The country could offer foreign student paid internships, work-based learning and an opportunity to apply for jobs and work institutions which offer around 450 different certificate, diploma, undergraduate, and post graduate programmes to more than 25,000 students from 149 nationalities. Similarly, University City in Sharjah has around 20,000 students studying at 15 universities. Private universities in Abu Dhabi, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah also have a potential to host students from the Middle East, South Asia and the South East Asia.
With new political realities dawning in the UK, which are impacting the educational export from this country, there is an urgent need to further enhance students’ experience in the UAE. The persistent efforts made in diversifying the economy in the UAE provide an ideal environment for the development of human capital.
Mohammad Abdullah, Managing Director of DIAC, said, “We must equip the future leaders of our nation with the skills they need to excel and we must also provide our thriving industries with graduates that they can develop to grow their businesses”. A dialogue between academia and industry is, therefore, critical to its success. This is only one of the dimensions of the new plan to lure more students to the region. Besides the convergence of ideas between the universities, industry and government, three other major areas of thrust need to be: robust quality control, early adoption of new technologies and emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship.
Experts agree that in the coming years higher education will be defined by trends in use of advanced educational technology including artificial intelligence, competency based learning, partnership with private enterprise and use of digital strategies in branding, marketing and recruitment.
The UAE could offer foreign student paid internships, work-based learning and an opportunity to apply for jobs and work. Accredited programmes, better facilities and ease of travel and work can also prove pull factors for these students to enroll at universities and training centres in the UAE. — The author is Program Leader, Journalism and Mass
Communication at Amity University, Dubai