On February 13, 2011, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi’s permanent campus on Reem Island officially opened. The event was attended by the French prime minister at the time, Francois Fillon, and Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.
The Abu Dhabi outpost was born in 2006 when the UAE and France signed an agreement to expand the prestigious university for the first time outside its home country. The project was supported by the Abu Dhabi government, which invested $100 million to set up the campus.
Before moving to their 9.3-hectare campus on Reem Island, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi took up temporary residence in a building near Al Maqta Bridge. Classes were then moved to Reem Island in December 2009. By 2011, the university had more than 600 students, 34 per cent of whom were Emirati.
“France entered into this project because the UAE projects dynamism and responsibility. The formal opening of the campus demonstrates the bond of trust between the countries,” Fillon said at the campus opening.
Georges Molinie, then president of the Paris Sorbonne, said the university would offer a master’s degree in museum studies in collaboration with the Louvre Museum and School in France, which postgraduate students can now enrol for.
The Reem Island campus offers a modern and dynamic learning environment with state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories and auditoriums. The campus also has a two-storey library with books brought in from the Paris campus, as well as important books and research papers from around the world. It has a sports complex and an expansive food hall.
Students are also provided with career planning by professionals who help through workshops, internships and networking events.
Today, the university has three schools – Arts and Humanities; Law, Economics and Business; and Data, Science and Engineering – which offer 12 bachelor’s degrees and 14 master’s degrees in both French and English.
Paris Sorbonne has a rich and long history. Founded in 1257, it was one of numerous colleges that housed poor students on the hillsides of the Montagne Sainte-Genevieve. It was rebuilt by Cardinal Richelieu, who was King Louis XIII's chief minister in the 17th century. It was closed by the French Revolution in 1791 and turned into artists' studios in 1801. In 1821, the Sorbonne once again devoted itself to teaching and continues to do so until today.
Four Nobel laureates have graduated from the Sorbonne, including Emmanuelle Charpentier, the 2020 Nobel Prize in chemistry winner. Famous alumni also include Polish chemist Marie Curie, French filmmaker Julia Ducournau, Lebanese-French historian Habib Tawa, French economist Dominique Strauss-Kahn and American fashion designer Vera Wang.
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
ENGLAND TEAM
England (15-1)
George Furbank; Jonny May, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell (capt), Elliot Daly; George Ford, Ben Youngs; Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Courtney Lawes; Charlie Ewels, Maro Itoje; Kyle Sinckler, Jamie George, Joe Marler
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, George Kruis, Lewis Ludlam, Willi Heinz, Ollie Devoto, Jonathan Joseph
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Remaining fixtures
- August 29 – UAE v Saudi Arabia, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
- September 5 – Iraq v UAE, Amman, Jordan (venue TBC)
Mountain%20Boy
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Usain Bolt's time for the 100m at major championships
2008 Beijing Olympics 9.69 seconds
2009 Berlin World Championships 9.58
2011 Daegu World Championships Disqualified
2012 London Olympics 9.63
2013 Moscow World Championships 9.77
2015 Beijing World Championships 9.79
2016 Rio Olympics 9.81
2017 London World Championships 9.95
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
