UAE UNIVERSITIES TURN IN TOP PERFORMANCE IN WORLD LISTINGS
▶ Eight departments at institutions in the Emirates join international elite in higher education
A university department in the UAE is now among the top 25 in the world.
The petroleum engineering department at Khalifa University moved seven places up to 21 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021.
Universities in the Emirates recorded their best performance to date, with eight departments entering the global university table.
Emirati universities not only improved rankings in traditional areas, including engineering and computer science, but also broke ground in departments such as art, design and architecture.
UAE University’s petroleum engineering department was ranked among the top 100 globally, while the same department at the University of Sharjah was placed in the top 150.
The performance of 35 departments at six of the country’s universities were assessed for the rankings.
Just over 14,400 programmes taken by students at 1,452 universities worldwide were included in the study.
Quacquarelli Symonds, a global education research consultancy, compared the world’s higher education institutions on four criteria marked out of 100.
Researchers reviewed the universities’ academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations and the productivity and impact of the published work of a scientist or scholar.
“One major factor behind the improving performance of the UAE’s universities is increasing employer recognition of the nation’s graduates,” said QS spokesman Jack Moran.
“In last year’s edition of our rankings, only five of the UAE’s programmes received a score of 70 out of 100 or more for employer reputation.
“This year, three more of the UAE’s departments attained a score of 70 out of 100 or more for employer reputation, which indicates that employers around the world are more likely to nominate the country’s graduates as being strong hires.”
Mr Moran said some UAE universities also improved their research performance this year and that local institutions would benefit from continuing to think globally.
“This means collaborating internationally on research projects, trying to attract top talent from around the world – students and academics,” he said.
Apart from engineering, UAE universities were recognised for their arts and humanities programmes.
The art and design and architecture departments at the American University of Sharjah were among the top 200 worldwide.
UAE University entered the top 100, in the 51-100 band, for its petroleum engineering programme.
The American University of Sharjah has one of the world’s best accounting and finance programmes, taking a place in the 151-200 bracket.
Philip Purnell, head of rankings at UAE University, said he was happy that the institution entered the lists in two new subjects: petroleum engineering as well as arts and humanities.
UAE University improved its position in eight areas and was ranked for 16 subjects.
“We are aware we are sitting at the same table with the top countries in the world,” Mr Purnell said.
“There has been a lot of investment in terms of technology, we have a new dean and the level of student learning has been enhanced.”
He said the university would focus on medicine, space, cultural heritage, arts and humanities.
It also wants to increase international collaboration and partnerships.
“We are going to expand the college of medicine and will try to broaden the range of subjects,” he said.
Mr Purnell said there had been a steep increase in research published in leading international journals, which helped to boost the university’s position.
The university is also involved in the Phase 3 trials for the Russian Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, with some tests being conducted at the institution’s laboratories.