Making education practical

Hala Khalaf

• Last Updated: October 21. 2009 11:02PM UAE / October 21. 2009 7:02PM GMT

ABU DHABI // It takes a nation to solve the challenges of higher education in the UAE, experts say.

Producing job-ready graduates who are critical thinkers and value scientific research are goals that can be achieved only through a broad partnership of schools, the Government and the private and public sectors, officials said during a round-table discussion at the Emirates Palace hotel yesterday.

Internships and part-time jobs were described as particularly important because they prepare students to survive outside the classroom.

“To understand the world of work,” said Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, “we want our students to have internships and part-time jobs, particularly in the summer. This requires the building of effective partnerships with business and Government.”

The UAE has “a very serious issue in the lack of student preparation to work”, added Dr Warren Fox, executive director for higher education at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai.

“This is particularly true for Emirati students coming out of government schools who don’t have the level needed to pursue higher education and, subsequently, about 20 to 25 per cent of Emirati men are lost to the potential of higher education by the 10th grade.”

University administrators, government officials, private-sector professionals and faculty members were among the panel members.



hkhalaf@thenational.ae