Students at Zayed University began a new bachelor's degree programme on Tuesday, ushering in a new era of teaching and learning at the Abu Dhabi university.
The four-year degree that encompasses artificial intelligence, technology and sustainability aims to prepare students for the real world and places less emphasis on traditional elements of university life such as lectures.
About 140 students – the majority Emirati women, but including a co-educational mix from countries such as Brazil, Chile, Pakistan, Poland and Yemen – have enrolled for the programme.
The new offering comes from a tie-up with US-based education provider Minerva Project and is called "Zayed University X Minerva".
It is the first stage in an ambitious plan to transform the way the university teaches students over the next five years.
We need graduates who are prepared for this world right now. And we have to acknowledge that universities fall woefully short in that order
Ben Nelson
Noura Al Kaabi, the university’s president and UAE Minister of Culture and Youth, said the aim is to “future-proof” student careers.
"They are not incubated and isolated at a four-year university," said Ms Al Kaabi. "I hope we look back in four years and see new leaders of this world."
The degree is guided by Zayed University's new College of Interdisciplinary Studies, which offers traditional subjects such as science and courses in entrepreneurship, AI and social change.
Ben Nelson, founder and chief executive of the Minerva Project, said universities were not preparing students for the real life and this new degree was going to change all that.
"For the last 30 years, universities have done an abysmal job at training their graduates for the present," Ben Nelson, the founder and chief executive of the Minerva Project, told host Kelsey Warner on this week's Business Extra podcast.
"I don't need to worry about what is going to happen in the future because it is safe to say that all of these trends – of globalisation, automation, of significant industry disruption – are just going to continue and accelerate," he said.
"We need graduates who are prepared for this world right now. And we have to acknowledge that universities fall woefully short in that order."
Zayed University "not only recognised [that], but decided that they had to do something about it".
The degree is a bachelor’s programme in one of three majors. The first, "business transformation", is focused on how to take an idea from the concept phase to market, preparing students for careers in entrepreneurship, finance and strategy. Courses include market dynamics, financial planning and product analytics.
"Computational systems" will teach students how to use AI and software engineering to build technology tools and make informed decisions, with courses in calculus, linear algebra and pattern recognition.
The third, "social innovation", examines issues facing developing and developed economies and looks at how change is brought about, preparing students for jobs in the sustainability and public policy sectors.
Students are engaged through new ways of learning. Skills such as public speaking, debating and negotiation are honed, and most coursework is dedicated to projects, with internships and part-time work a critical part of the curriculum.
Zayed University's new approach comes amid concern that students are being failed by higher education around the globe – from the rising cost of tuition to insufficient investment in technology or innovation in teaching methods.
Recent graduates are entering a labour market that is also rapidly changing: 85 per cent of the jobs that will exist in 2030 have not even been invented yet, according to the World Economic Forum.
Students will also be able to apply what they have learnt in professional environments where they will spend about a quarter of their time in groups working on challenging projects for leading companies.
For the duration of their study, students will be given access to exclusive internship and part-time employment opportunities to improve their long-term employability.
Classes will be conducted on Minerva’s learning system, Forum, as well as at both of Zayed University’s campuses in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The hybrid approach affords students the flexibility to attend class from anywhere in the world.
"Don't let anyone tell you it is the same. No, no. It is different and it is better," Ms Al Kaabi told the incoming class. "I welcome you to the family of Zayed University."
Hosted by Kelsey Warner
Produced by Arthur Eddyson and Ayesha Khan
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WISH
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Transmission: eight-speed dual clutch auto
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Torque: 900Nm
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On sale: Q1 2020
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Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
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the pledge
I pledge to uphold the duty of tolerance
I pledge to take a first stand against hate and injustice
I pledge to respect and accept people whose abilities, beliefs and culture are different from my own
I pledge to wish for others what I wish for myself
I pledge to live in harmony with my community
I pledge to always be open to dialogue and forgiveness
I pledge to do my part to create peace for all
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I pledge to always stand up for these values: Zayed's values for tolerance and human fraternity
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
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Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
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· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
The Internet
Hive Mind
four stars
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
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BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The biog
Favourite pet: cats. She has two: Eva and Bito
Favourite city: Cape Town, South Africa
Hobby: Running. "I like to think I’m artsy but I’m not".
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Favourite spot in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat beach
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
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About Seez
Company name/date started: Seez, set up in September 2015 and the app was released in August 2017
Founder/CEO name(s): Tarek Kabrit, co-founder and chief executive, and Andrew Kabrit, co-founder and chief operating officer
Based in: Dubai, with operations also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon
Sector: Search engine for car buying, selling and leasing
Size: (employees/revenue): 11; undisclosed
Stage of funding: $1.8 million in seed funding; followed by another $1.5m bridge round - in the process of closing Series A
Investors: Wamda Capital, B&Y and Phoenician Funds
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Discount: She works in luxury retail, but is careful about spending, waits for sales, festivals and only buys on discount
University: The only person in her family to go to college, Jiang secured a bachelor’s degree in business management in China
Masters: Studying part-time for a master’s degree in international business marketing in Dubai
Vacation: Heads back home to see family in China
Community work: Member of the Chinese Business Women’s Association of the UAE to encourage other women entrepreneurs
