Shake-up urged on overseas campuses

Dubai has world’s highest concentration of foreign university branches but regulator wants more specialised courses

DUBAI // Education authorities want foreign university campuses to provide more specialist courses, including science and health care, to meet the needs of the economy.

Dubai has the world’s highest concentration of overseas university branches, with 27, but 70 per cent of courses offered are related to business or IT. The Knowledge and Human Development Authority is trying to steer new foreign campuses towards courses “such as science, health and further management options”, said Dr Warren Fox, its head of higher education.

Healthcare providers say executive education for their industry is notably lacking.

“There are very limited courses in healthcare management,” said Alisha Moopen, chief executive of Aster Healthcare and Medcare.

“There are some small courses being run but they’re not very structured, so we end up sending a lot of our staff abroad for executive education because it’s hard to find options here.” Ms Moopen said a strategy must be developed for all as- pects of healthcare education, not least in postgraduate study, to gauge market demands.

“It’s fair to say that the medical sector is growing and we will need to keep importing talent for the foreseeable future.”

One local branch campus, the Manchester Business School – part of the University of Manchester – received approval for a new master of science degree in health care in September as part of its expansion plans.

“Health care is top of the agenda across the region and so healthcare leadership at the postgraduate and executive education level will be a major focus for us,” said Prof Colin Bailey, deputy president of the University of Manchester.

Since 2006, Manchester Business School has had more than 2,000 students for its master of business administration course. Prof Bailey said the school’s new focus would include energy, logistics, health care, banking and finance.

Dr Jason Lane, from the University of Albany, said such expansion and the continued arrival of campuses signalled continued demand.

“Dubai is still seen as a strong player and definitely has the largest concentration of international branch campuses in a single city, and the highest proportion of branches relative to the total number of higher education institutions in the emirate,” Dr Lane said. “I don’t know of any other place where foreign education is such a major player relative to domestic providers.”

There are 247 international branch campuses in operation around the world and at least another 20 in development.

British and American education remained popular, Dr Lane said.

“I would say that the UK and the US have the strongest global brands in terms of higher education, and demand for a US and UK education remains high,” he said. “Both countries have recently experienced major electoral shifts that could make studying in country more difficult and less desirable to international students.

“This may result in even greater demand for IBC education, as students want the foreign degree but are not able to get it by studying in the home country.”