LONDON // The University of Birmingham will open a branch campus in Dubai this year – the first global top 100 ranked institution to do so.
At what will also be the university’s first international campus, courses in business, economics, computer science, mechanical engineering, and primary and secondary teacher education will be offered from November with student numbers rising to 4,500.
The announcement was made during Going Global, a conference for leaders in international education in London.
“We are going to begin with undergraduate and postgraduate-taught programmes and then we will follow with recruiting PhD students,” said Prof Sir David Eastwood, principal and vice chancellor.
“We will develop research initiatives from the beginning, and initially they will be developed from the expertise that we have in Birmingham.”
It is the first university from the Russel Group, which represents the 24 leading British research-focused institutions, to come to Dubai.
Areas including energy storage, future cities, education, railway, smart cities and Islamic banking will be the focus for research.
“We will be working on sustainability, liveable cities and the way they build supply chains. We are also interested in what will constitute the global city,” said Prof Eastwood.
The university’s engineering courses are expected to be popular as the UAE aims to increase the number of students taking more practical subjects instead of courses such as mass communications, marketing and business administration.
At present, those wanting to study engineering can choose from Abu Dhabi University, Heriot-Watt University, Higher College of Technology and American University of Dubai, among others.
The University of Birmingham is listed 82nd in the QS World University Rankings 2016-2017. New York University, which has a branch campus in Abu Dhabi, was ranked 46th. No regional university made the top 100.
Staff from the home campus in Birmingham will teach in Dubai, although 80 per cent of the faculty will be recruited.
Fees will be on a par with what the university charges in the UK, with undergraduate engineering courses expected to cost about Dh94,000 a year. The curriculum will be the same at both campuses.
It is hoped that being based in Dubai will help it to attract students from the subcontinent.
“We want to make Dubai a hub for our students’ international experience,” said Prof Eastwood. “We will have opportunities for students to move to Dubai for a semester or longer, and a similar mobility for staff.
“Our market research has suggested that a high-quality university in Dubai would be attractive to students from the subcontinent.”
Dr Abdulla Al Karam, director general of Dubai’s education regulator the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, was in London for the announcement.
“Unlike schools, in higher education people come from abroad and more institutions means more students. Students from Africa, Asia and GCC are coming to the UAE to study,” said Dr Al Karam.
Yowan Jodha, of IDP Education – an international organisation offering student placements – said UK universities were opening campuses in the UAE to target students from the country, as well as the Middle East, Africa and the subcontinent.
“For a lot of students the primary option is to study in the UK, but the branch campus becomes a fallback for those who can’t go for family or financial reasons,” said Mr Jodha. “Also with visa regulations, branches can be a good option.”
The University of Birmingham Dubai will be in Dubai International Academic City. The first phase of the campus will open in autumn, with the first undergraduate and postgraduate students starting classes in September next year.
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Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Results
6pm: Dubai Trophy – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: Silent Speech, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby
(trainer)
6.35pm: Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m
Winner: Island Falcon, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt)
1,400m
Winner: Rawy, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.45pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Desert Fire, Hector Crouch, Saeed bin Suroor
8.20pm: Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Naval Crown, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.55pm: Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watsons
9.30pm: Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Dubai Icon, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
