UAE universities have joined forces with education authorities to develop online degrees to help attract prospective students from around the globe.
The Ministry of Education and the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education formed the University Consortium for Quality Online Learning, partnering with nine universities as part of an ambitious digital drive.
American University in Dubai, American University of Sharjah, British University in Dubai, Khalifa University, New York University Abu Dhabi, UAE University, University of Dubai, University of Sharjah and Zayed University will participate in the initiative.
The initiative will help universities in the Emirates strengthen their online courses and make them accessible to students in the UAE and beyond.
The opportunities in this field are huge. Students can connect from anywhere in the world
The Covid-19 outbreak highlighted the potential of online learning to allow staff and students alike to work and study away from lecture halls.
The rise of distancing learning opens up the opportunity for top students all over the world to learn at UAE universities without leaving their home countries.
Dr Mohammed Al Mualla, undersecretary for Academic Affairs of Higher Education at the Ministry of Education, said the strategy would help universities create accredited online programmes by 2022.
Prof Abdullah Alshamsi, vice chancellor of the British University in Dubai, said that online learning would be a major boost to the education sector in the Emirates and would help build collaboration between local and international academics.
"The opportunities in this field are huge," said Prof Alshamsi.
"Students can connect from anywhere in the world.
"Also, academics will not be required to travel in person to share their knowledge, but they can do that remotely.
"The exchange and transfer of knowledge will be faster and easier than ever.”
Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth and president of Zayed University, also backed the initiative.
“This project will assist Zayed University and other higher education institutions in the UAE to develop high quality degree programmes that will be offered fully online to a regional and international audiences."
Charles Grim, vice provost for institutional research, assessment and academic affairs at New York University Abu Dhabi, said the university had the potential to offer some of the best online programmes in the region.
"This endeavour seems an excellent way to help us and all of the other participating universities to engage in online learning effectively, and much more efficiently than would be the case were we to move in this direction independently," said Mr Grim.
The universities will take part in capacity needs assessment to identify individual challenges and determine their strengths and needs for developing online courses.
UAE embraces digital age:
These assessments are scheduled to be completed in early 2021, after which each university will receive a report to guide its programme design.
The UAE has embraced a shift to digital education during the pandemic, with schools and universities continuing to offer remote learning opportunities months after welcoming back some pupils and students to in-person lessons.
Hamdan bin Mohammed Smart University teamed up with the Ministry of Education in March to provide free courses for teachers to bring them up to speed with the demands of online teaching.
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
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'Midnights'
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
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Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
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Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
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HAEMOGLOBIN DISORDERS EXPLAINED
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
Sunday:
GP3 race: 12:10pm
Formula 2 race: 1:35pm
Formula 1 race: 5:10pm
Performance: Guns N' Roses
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
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Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
Hobbies: Travelling, going to the gym
Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
Favourite read: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Favourite film: The Founder, about the establishment of McDonald's
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
Squads
India (for first three ODIs) Kohli (capt), Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Jadhav, Rahane, Dhoni, Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Umesh, Shami.
Australia Smith (capt), Warner, Agar, Cartwright, Coulter-Nile, Cummins, Faulkner, Finch, Head, Maxwell, Richardson, Stoinis, Wade, Zampa.
Calls
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Karen Gillian, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
4/5
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
