Should universities focus on subject-specific knowledge – or give students a broad range of capabilities that can be applied in any setting?
Or both?
Zayed University’s contribution to this ongoing discussion in education comes in the form of a string of new courses designed to equip students with interdisciplinary skills.
The university has struck an agreement with the Minerva Project, called Zayed University X Minerva, to create "the next generation of problem solvers", said Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth and President of Zayed University.
While a university education may offer a grounding in only one subject, Zayed University and Minerva will, from September, run bachelor’s degrees that aim to cross traditional disciplinary boundaries – and offer new ways of learning, too.
When you organise things in particular disciplines, that creates limits on what people can learn
The business transformation, computational systems and social innovation courses will mix “active learning, experiential activities and professional immersion”, said Ben Nelson, Minerva Project’s founder.
With the social innovation course, everything from arts to economics, to political science to psychology will be on the curriculum.
The new courses are the latest of many examples of higher education institutions trying to create links between subjects.
What is interdisciplinary learning?
Prof Simon Marginson, professor of higher education at the University of Oxford and director of the Centre for Global Higher Education, a partnership of more than a dozen universities, said efforts to develop interdisciplinary studies date back at least two decades.
They are, he said, a “natural and normal part” of having a discipline-based approach because, if there are separate subjects, the question arises of how they fit together.
“You cannot have interdisciplinary without disciplines,” he said.
“When you organise things in particular disciplines, that creates limits on what people can learn.”
It therefore seems sensible, he said, to consider ways in which disciplines can be combined and useful “intersections” between them explored.
A wide range of skills may be fostered with this approach, such as creativity, teamwork, flexibility, critical thinking and communication.
Countries vary widely by whether they require students to specialise or follow a more broad-based curriculum. The United States is renowned for its liberal arts tradition, in which students take courses in a wide variety of disciplines.
Such an approach is designed to prepare them to achieve a range of goals in their careers.
In the UK, bachelor’s degrees are often more specialised, and in response to this, The London Interdisciplinary School, which offers a three-year course that leads to a bachelor of arts and sciences (BASc) degree, will be launched this year.
It has been described as offering elements of a US liberal arts education, but with a greater focus on drawing from multiple subjects to look at particular issues, such as crime or environmental problems, perhaps offering parallels with Zayed University’s new courses.
What do employers make of it?
While interdisciplinary courses may themselves be useful starting points for careers because of the skills students acquire, they are sometimes usefully followed by training in particular areas.
"It's not a substitute for occupational or professional education," said Prof Marginson, who has written several books on higher education, including Higher Education and the Common Good.
“If you’re heading for a profession, you need to acquire that knowledge. For the optimal workplace preparation, you may need to do another course on top of [an interdisciplinary one].”
So a bachelor’s degree in the US may often be followed by a far more specialised postgraduate education in a subject such as engineering, law or business.
However, instead of having a sequential pattern of education, Prof Marginson said that diverse subjects can be taught simultaneously, equipping graduates with both pure subject knowledge and practical skills.
An example might involve combining engineering with business management, giving students both technical knowledge and entrepreneurial skills.
“A lot of people are doing tech and business in one way or another,” he said.
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
The specs
Engine: 2x201bhp AC Permanent-magnetic electric
Transmission: n/a
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 659Nm
Price estimate: Dh200,000
On sale: Q3 2022
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEdited%20by%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Idries%20Trevathan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20240%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hirmer%20Publishers%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Fire and Fury
By Michael Wolff,
Henry Holt
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
SHAITTAN
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Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays
4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Helen Cullen, Graydon House
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
