Latest news with #NationalStrategyforHigherEducation2030
Gulf Today
08-07-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Sheraa unveils 7th edition of Access Sharjah Challenge
The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) announced the opening of applications for the seventh edition of the Access Sharjah Challenge on July 7th, 2025, with this year's focus on the education sector. The challenge seeks to empower innovative solutions that leverage the transformative power of education to tackle key challenges in learning. This aligns with the UAE's National Strategy for Higher Education 2030, which aims to build an education system that nurtures knowledge, creativity, and future-ready skills. With a total prize value of Dhs500,000, the Access Sharjah Challenge is now open for applications from education-focused startups around the world that have validated prototypes and are looking to scale internationally. Applications will be accepted until August 17. The challenge is being held in collaboration with the Sharjah Private Education Authority and the Sharjah Education Academy. The prize money will be divided equally between two winners, enabling them to test and implement their solutions at Alsedra Private School, Khalifah Al Hamzah American School, Pakistan Islamia Higher Secondary School and Al Badee Nursery. The upcoming edition, organised by Sheraa in collaboration with key implementation partners, the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) and the Sharjah Education Academy (SEA), invites leading global education startups at the Pre-Series A, Series A, B, and C+ stage to submit innovative solutions addressing two priority education challenges: Future-Ready Skills Challenge, which focuses on equipping students with foundational and digital skills to keep pace with a rapidly evolving world and prepare for the jobs of tomorrow and Arabic in Early Childhood Challenge, which emphasises the importance of nurturing a sense of belonging to the Arabic language and embedding it as a core part of a child's identity from an early age. This collaborative approach ensures that all challenge statements reflect real-world needs and that submitted solutions are positioned for meaningful and scalable impact across Sharjah's education ecosystem. Sharjah leads the future of education: Commenting on the launch, Sara Abdelaziz Al Nuaimi, CEO of Sheraa, said: 'We believe that meaningful innovation is defined by its ability to create real impact and expand access to learning. The Access Sharjah Challenge 2025 offers a dynamic platform where forward-thinking ideas converge with strategic ambition, enabling the transformation of promising concepts into scalable, real-world educational solutions. Through this initiative, we aim to enrich an already vibrant learning ecosystem, offering educators and students renewed opportunities to embrace tools and technologies that nurture lifelong learning and spark intellectual curiosity.' She added: 'Sharjah today stands out for its thriving educational ecosystem, backed by advanced digital infrastructure and strong collaboration between government and private sectors. This solid foundation positions the emirate as a leader in reimagining the future of education. The Access Sharjah Challenge is an open invitation to the world's most innovative education startups to help shape an inclusive, agile, and future-ready learning model, built from within a community that champions creativity and innovation.' Ali Al Hosani, Director General of the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), emphasised the importance of the Authority's participation in the Sharjah Gateway Challenge. Through its presence, the Authority seeks to contribute to building an informed and empowered society grounded in knowledge and science. He noted that innovation is no longer an option; it has become the cornerstone of supporting sustainable development, shaping the future, and strengthening the country's competitive position on the global stage. Professor Pauline Taylor-Guy, the Chancellor of Sharjah Education Academy, expressed: 'We are proud to partner with the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) through the 'Access Sharjah' Challenge by launching our unique challenge, 'Arabic Language in Early Childhood'.
Al Bawaba
10-04-2025
- Business
- Al Bawaba
Dubai Islamic Bank Launches DIB Academy as a Strategic Investment in Human Capital for a Rapidly Evolving World
Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), the UAE's largest Islamic bank, has announced the launch of the DIB Academy, a new institutional platform designed to embed structured, certified, and inclusive learning across the bank. Built to serve every employee, in every function and at every level, the Academy represents a fundamental shift in how the bank views workforce development: not as a support mechanism, but as a strategic driver of performance, resilience, and relevance in an increasingly complex Adnan Chilwan, Group Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Islamic Bank, commented: 'No institution can sustain its leadership without investing in the intellectual depth of its people. The DIB Academy is not about training for today — it is about capability for tomorrow. This initiative reflects our long-term view that knowledge is infrastructure and skills are capital. We are embedding structured learning into the DNA of our organisation, not only to serve our growth, but to elevate professional standards across the the Academy reflects our conviction that education is not the sole domain of academic institutions, but a shared responsibility for any organisation committed to long-term progress. This commitment aligns with the UAE's National Strategy for Higher Education 2030, supporting national efforts to build a knowledge-based economy anchored in skills, innovation, and human part of our strategic growth agenda, the Academy marks a deliberate move to extend DIB's impact beyond banking, offering learning and certification programmes that contribute to building sector-wide capabilities and future-ready talent across the region.'The DIB Academy follows a progressive, multi-phase roadmap that initially focused on upskilling all employees through certified, inclusive learning journeys. The next phase will see the Academy expanding its impact through collaborations with academic institutions, regulatory entities, and industry partners enabling others to benefit from DIB's internal expertise, content, and certification frameworks. Over time, the Academy aspires to play a broader role within the UAE's professional learning landscape, reinforcing DIB's position not only as a leader in Islamic banking, but as a contributor to national capability and knowledge-driven Al Abbar, Head of Human Resources at Dubai Islamic Bank added: 'The DIB Academy is a strategic institution within the bank, built on three key principles: alignment with business priorities, accessibility for all employees, and academic-grade quality. We have partnered with internationally accredited institutions, but we have also built significant internal capability — creating content in-house, governed by a robust framework that includes senior leaders, HR, and subject matter experts. It is about ensuring relevance, measurability, and most importantly, impact. The goal is simple: to embed learning into the fabric of how we perform, grow, and lead'The Academy offers internally developed curricula, vocational certifications, and modular learning journeys tailored to functional realities, supporting all employees, from front-line staff to specialised roles. Programmes span technical, behavioural, leadership, and regulatory domains — offering employees a clear, certified, and applied learning journey that evolves with the demands of the business. Learning is embedded into roles, not added on top of them, and is treated as a driver of growth rather than a reactive tool. As part of its launch, the bank honoured its academic partners and top-performing learners from 2024, recognising those who demonstrated excellence and commitment to continuous development throughout the Academy's foundation phase. With the launch of DIB Academy, Dubai Islamic Bank reaffirms its belief that institutional strength begins with people, and that skills, not status, will define the success of the next generation of financial leaders. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
Zawya
10-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Dubai Islamic Bank launches DIB Academy as a strategic investment in human capital for a rapidly evolving world
With long-term ambition built into its design, the Academy is set to extend its learning model beyond the bank to empower professionals and institutions across the region. Dubai, UAE – Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), the UAE's largest Islamic bank, has announced the launch of the DIB Academy, a new institutional platform designed to embed structured, certified, and inclusive learning across the bank. Built to serve every employee, in every function and at every level, the Academy represents a fundamental shift in how the bank views workforce development: not as a support mechanism, but as a strategic driver of performance, resilience, and relevance in an increasingly complex world. Dr. Adnan Chilwan, Group Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Islamic Bank, commented: 'No institution can sustain its leadership without investing in the intellectual depth of its people. The DIB Academy is not about training for today — it is about capability for tomorrow. This initiative reflects our long-term view that knowledge is infrastructure and skills are capital. We are embedding structured learning into the DNA of our organisation, not only to serve our growth, but to elevate professional standards across the sector. Establishing the Academy reflects our conviction that education is not the sole domain of academic institutions, but a shared responsibility for any organisation committed to long-term progress. This commitment aligns with the UAE's National Strategy for Higher Education 2030, supporting national efforts to build a knowledge-based economy anchored in skills, innovation, and human capital. As part of our strategic growth agenda, the Academy marks a deliberate move to extend DIB's impact beyond banking, offering learning and certification programmes that contribute to building sector-wide capabilities and future-ready talent across the region.' The DIB Academy follows a progressive, multi-phase roadmap that initially focused on upskilling all employees through certified, inclusive learning journeys. The next phase will see the Academy expanding its impact through collaborations with academic institutions, regulatory entities, and industry partners enabling others to benefit from DIB's internal expertise, content, and certification frameworks. Over time, the Academy aspires to play a broader role within the UAE's professional learning landscape, reinforcing DIB's position not only as a leader in Islamic banking, but as a contributor to national capability and knowledge-driven growth. Rafia Al Abbar, Head of Human Resources at Dubai Islamic Bank added: 'The DIB Academy is a strategic institution within the bank, built on three key principles: alignment with business priorities, accessibility for all employees, and academic-grade quality. We have partnered with internationally accredited institutions, but we have also built significant internal capability — creating content in-house, governed by a robust framework that includes senior leaders, HR, and subject matter experts. It is about ensuring relevance, measurability, and most importantly, impact. The goal is simple: to embed learning into the fabric of how we perform, grow, and lead' The Academy offers internally developed curricula, vocational certifications, and modular learning journeys tailored to functional realities, supporting all employees, from front-line staff to specialised roles. Programmes span technical, behavioural, leadership, and regulatory domains — offering employees a clear, certified, and applied learning journey that evolves with the demands of the business. Learning is embedded into roles, not added on top of them, and is treated as a driver of growth rather than a reactive tool. As part of its launch, the bank honoured its academic partners and top-performing learners from 2024, recognising those who demonstrated excellence and commitment to continuous development throughout the Academy's foundation phase. With the launch of DIB Academy, Dubai Islamic Bank reaffirms its belief that institutional strength begins with people, and that skills, not status, will define the success of the next generation of financial leaders. About Dubai Islamic Bank: Established in 1975, Dubai Islamic Bank is the largest Islamic bank in the UAE by assets and a public joint stock company listed on the Dubai Financial Market. Spearheading the evolution of the global Islamic finance industry, DIB is also the world's first full service Islamic bank and amongst the largest Islamic banks in the world. With Group assets more than reaching USD90 billion and market capitalisation of more than USD 14bln, the group operates with a workforce of more than 10,000 employees and around 500 branches in its vast global network across the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Serving over 5 million customers across the Group, DIB offers an increasing range of innovative Shariah compliant products and services to retail, corporate and institutional clients. In addition to being the first and largest Islamic bank in the UAE, DIB has a significant international presence as a torchbearer in promoting Shariah-compliant financial services across a number of markets worldwide. The bank has established DIB Pakistan Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary which is the first Islamic bank in Pakistan to offer Priority & Platinum Banking, as well as the most extensive and innovative portfolio of Alternate Distribution Channels. The launch of Panin Dubai Syariah Bank in Indonesia early in 2017 marks DIB's first foray in the Far East, the bank owns a nearly 25% stake in the Indonesian bank. Additionally, in May 2017, Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC was given the licence by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) to operate its subsidiary, DIB Kenya Ltd. DIB has been designated as D-SIB (Domestic Systemically Important Bank) in 2018 in UAE. In early 2020, DIB completed the acquisition of Noor Bank, which solidifies its position as a leading bank in the global Islamic finance industry. In 2023, DIB entered Turkey through a 20% acquisition of T.O.M. Group which provides digital banking services. DIB is committed to leading the way in sustainable Islamic financing, with a total sustainable sukuk issuances of USD 2.75 billion to date and strategic involvement in green and sustainable capital markets, reflecting the bank's ongoing dedication to ESG principles and a sustainable future. The bank's ultimate goal is to make Islamic finance the norm, rather than an alternative to conventional banking worldwide. DIB has won a range of accolades that are testament to these efforts across diversified areas, including retail, corporate and investment banking, as well as CSR and consultancy services. DIB has been named the Best Islamic Bank in various prestigious ceremonies and recognised for its outstanding performance amongst the world's Islamic Banks, marking it a clear indication of the bank's leadership position in the Islamic finance sector. For more information, please visit us at Please follow us on DIB's social channels: For more PR information, please contact: Dubai Islamic Bank Kashif Moosa Head of Investor Relations & Strategic Communication Email: kmoosa@ Weber Shandwick Tameem Alkintar Account Director Email: TAlkintar@
The National
12-03-2025
- Business
- The National
UAE higher education offerings continue to improve, says global report
The UAE has climbed to sixth place in an international league table of most improved countries for quality of university subjects offered. According to the QS Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings by Subject 2025 released on Wednesday, almost half (49 per cent) of the UAE's 60 ranked entries improved, with only 14 per cent scoring lower than last year. The UAE was the sixth most improved country when ranked by subject, although no university made the overall top 200 list of international universities according to data released in June. Coming in at number one on the most improved table was Hong Kong, followed by mainland China, Singapore, South Korea and Oman. Kuwait ranked as seventh most improved. Universities in the Emirates submitted 19 new subject entries this year, with five of them achieving debut rankings in; linguistics, dentistry, communication and media studies, politics and international studies, and data science & AI. The UAE is one of just 20 countries and territories with two or more subjects ranked in the global top 10. Khalifa University of Science and Technology's petroleum engineering programme climbed one place to 7th globally. And the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management remains among the world's best in hospitality and leisure management, ranking 10th worldwide, despite falling one position. Ajman University's Data Science and Artificial Intelligence course entered the top 100 for the first time, while Dentistry at University of Sharjah did the same. Meanwhile, all nine entries from Al Ain University improved on their rankings from last year. Several factors were considered to grade each university, from learning experience to academic reputation, employability and global engagement. The US Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge ranked first with an overall score of 100, followed by Imperial College London, UK with a score of 98.5. The top five university list was completed by the University of Oxford (96.9), Harvard University in the US (96.8) and the University of Cambridge, UK (96.7). In the UAE, the highest ranked university was Khalifa University with a score of 46.1, ranking it in 202nd place, followed by UAE University ranked 261 with a score of 39.4. 'The UAE's higher education ecosystem is making remarkable strides, as evidenced by the 49 per cent of its 122 ranked entries improving in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025,' said Ben Sowter, senior vice president at QS. 'This progress aligns with the nation's ambitious National Strategy for Higher Education 2030. 'The advancements in two of our key indicators such as Citations per Paper and H-Index reflect the UAE's commitment to fostering a robust research culture and enhancing global academic collaborations.' Experts said university options for students wanting to explore higher education in the UAE are improving. 'There are certain things I'm very happy that we are somewhere in the rankings now, but there are so many subjects that we still don't offer,' said education consultant Rema Menon Vellat. 'We are still in our nascent phase and we're growing exponentially. When I first came in here in 1998 it was all about business, and most of the institutions were offering related courses.' There is now a greater focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, according to the founder of Counselling Point Training and Development. 'There is a trickle-down effect. If government policies indicate a need to focus on logistics and supply chain, then that's where people will start investing their time and energy. 'But I feel we have many areas underserved, such as veterinary science, occupational and behavioural therapies, agriculture and farming.' Ms Vellat said there was an increase in the number of students in the UAE choosing to study at local universities, rather than travel overseas, a trend also seen elsewhere. In the Netherlands, the number of foreign student applications dropped significantly last year. Vrije Universiteit (VU) in Amsterdam saw a 23 per cent decline, and Groningen University reported 14 per cent fewer students from the European Economic Area (EEA). Overall, the Netherlands reported a 6 per cent decline in EU students and 9 per cent fewer non-EEA based applicants. The drop was largely driven by new government policies to reduce the number of foreign students, including limiting English use in bachelor's programmes. 'This is happening the world over and so students are also looking at newer options, like Italy or Spain,' said Ms Vellat. 'Young people are looking at where the jobs are. There's a perception that our university systems are not good enough just yet, but new checks and balances have contributed to improving facilities. 'We still need lots more research and investment in our students, the industry and academia partnerships.' In the 2025 league tables published in June last year, the American University of Sharjah was placed in 332 with a score of 33.6, while the University of Sharjah was in 434th place with a score of 27.5. Ajman University completed the top five in the UAE with a score of 25.1, placing it 477 on the list. The National University of Singapore was the top rated university in Asia, the region in which the UAE is classified, with a score of 93.7 in overall eighth place. In the Middle East, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia placed 101st with an overall score of 59.5, with Qatar University in Doha ranked 122, scoring 55.7.
Hi Dubai
28-02-2025
- General
- Hi Dubai
Ministry of Culture Launches National Framework for Emirati Cultural Activities in Schools
The Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, has officially launched the National Framework for Emirati Cultural Activities in Schools. This initiative aims to integrate Emirati cultural activities into the academic curriculum, fostering national identity and cultural values among students. The framework encompasses comprehensive policies, standards, and action plans designed to engage students across all age groups, from kindergarten to secondary school, in both public and private institutions. Its primary objectives include strengthening Emirati identity, promoting positive character traits, and encouraging community participation. Implemented in its initial phase between August 2023 and January 2024, the framework engaged over 1,300 teachers and approximately 2,000 students across various schools, with contributions from 107 cultural entities. The programme aligns with the 'Year of Community' initiative, announced by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which seeks to enhance community cohesion and national development. Mubarak Al Nakhi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, highlighted the importance of cultural awareness in shaping future generations. 'Awareness of cultural heritage contributes to building a generation capable of preserving its identity and leading the nation towards the future through knowledge, critical thinking, and creativity,' he stated. Mohammed Al Qassim, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Education, described the framework as a qualitative leap in strengthening national identity. The programme incorporates in-school, out-of-school, online, and community cultural engagement activities, offering students hands-on experiences, field trips, and digital resources. The initiative supports the National Strategy for Higher Education 2030, equipping students with technical and practical skills that drive economic growth and foster entrepreneurship. The collaborative effort between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education represents a significant step towards embedding Emirati cultural values into the nation's educational landscape. News Source: Emirates News Agency
