Nationally accredited universities face the growing issue of rejecting applicants who obtain qualifications from non-accredited branch campuses and are uninformed about the regulations governing the country’s higher education.
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR) prevents universities, accredited under the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), from enrolling students from non-accredited branch campuses.
University heads recommend more education sessions for high school students on the matter. A credit transfer system and bridging programmes should also be worked out by the authorities for the benefit of the students who want to further their education in the UAE.
Prof. Rob Whelan, Director of the University of Wollongong in Dubai, an Australian university that is accredited by CAA, said that the students are unaware of the complex higher education scene in the country.
“We recently had an application for entry into one of our master’s programme from a student who was a scholarship recipient when enrolled at a branch campus in Dubai.
But despite having a good result that would entitle him to a scholarship at UOWD too, we had to reject him following the ministry regulations,” Whelan said.
Whelen said the first question rejected students ask is why they weren’t made aware of these rules before they joined the branch campuses. “The Ministry of Education, responsible for high schools in the UAE can, through career counsellors and principals, educate students about the complexity of the education landscape. Parents and students must also take the time to visit the authority’s websites to gather information before making a decision.”
Branch campuses that operate in free zones in the emirate are regulated by the University Quality Assurance International Board (UQAIB) set up by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). UQAIB is responsible for ensuring the programmes offered at the campus in Dubai provide the same quality and are aligned to those at the parent campus.
At UOWD’s open days, counsellors get queries on the matter highlighting the lack of knowledge among students. “Up to 30 per cent of the students that we talk to during admissions are unable to satisfy our requirements because of not having done the right the first degree to move on to a post graduate level,” the director said.
Around four 4 per cent of the applications were rejected because they had undergraduate degrees from a non-accredited branch campus.
The CAA has a rigorous process for licensing universities and programmes based on 10 standards including academic and institutional leadership, coherence through teaching based on evidence and research and corporate and financial governance with public and social responsibility.
Free zones do not fall under the MOHESR jurisdiction and have been an attractive option for the numerous international universities that set base in the country. They have to be affiliated to the parent campus and follow UQAIB guidelines but do not need to meet the requirements of the federal authority.
UQAIB was set up by the local authority to license universities in free zones and ensure quality standards are met at the branch campuses and is not an accrediting body.
Academics advise that the choice of university and programme must depend on a student’s future path as problems arise when students wish to continue working or studying in an area that might require a nationally accredited qualification.
A non-accredited degree is not attested by the ministry in the UAE. This causes roadblocks for graduates wanting to apply to CAA accredited institutions as well as employment in the public sector and government based organisations as well.
Martin Prince, registrar at the CAA accredited British University in Dubai (BUiD), said this is a challenge that he would like to see tackled together by the federal and local education authorities.
“Young professionals committed to Dubai and the wider region should be given the opportunity to fully legitimise the experience and knowledge skills they gain,” he said. He proposes bridging courses similar to ones that are run by some institutions in the UK to enable holders of non-accredited awards to be eligible for accredited postgraduate programmes.
“Some kind of model like a six weeks intensive course or a summer term could be adapted to have local relevance and currency acceptable within the criteria laid down by the ministry,” he said.
“I think there is little that could be of more value than a meaningful discussion between the ministry and KHDA and the Abu Dhabi Department of Education & Knowledge on the matter.”
BUiD is a local university that offers post graduate courses in association with UK universities — Manchester, Cardiff, Birmingham, London and Edinburgh.
Prince said that the university would want to assist the government in developing education policies towards such initiatives.
Whelen suggests a credit transfer between systems. “I think it would be very productive if there is a process whereby CAA identifies and defines what they would approve as a credit transfer from a non-accredited to an accredited university.”
At the Heriot-Watt University in Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), a free zone that houses 32 international institutions, Mark Venables, director of marketing, said they receive 20 per cent students that raise questions about a local accreditation but it has never really affected their student enrollments.
“One of our attractions is that students can transfer to the home campus and many students opt for that in the third or fourth year of their study,” he said.
Students enrolled at the university have a degree that is accredited by the parent campus in UK which lends authenticity to the programmes offered at the Dubai campus.
“Our degree is recognised globally and Dubai’s regulatory authority that licenses us do a good job in ensuring we provide quality courses that are accepted by most organizations,” he said.
The university is expecting enrollments to grow this year and is building a new campus to accommodate the growing number of students who are looking for a UK education.
Venables believes at this point the university is abiding by the local authorities mandates and is not considering a CAA accreditation.
© Khaleej Times
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