The Changing UAE Education Landscape

The education landscape today is very different from what it once used to be. From student demographics to teaching techniques, several aspects of education have changed. Needless to say, the pandemic has accelerated several changes that were already beginning to take place.

Claire Roper-Browning, Regional Director – Marketing, Recruitment, Admissions and Communications at Heriot-Watt University Dubai discusses some of the trends in the education sector we are currently witnessing, and how Higher Education is responding to them.

• Increasing use of technology – More than ever before, the use of technology in education has become prevalent. With health and safety of staff and students taking centre stage, many educational institutions have moved some or all of their classes to online, have replaced papers and books with digital resources and deliver and grade examinations online. In the next few years, technology will continue to make its way into education systems in new and diverse ways. Students are likely to expect a higher education tech experience similar to what they experience in their smart homes, cars and phones! We will also see big corporates investing more and more heavily in education tech, as they view the industry as an untapped opportunity – with Universities being at the heart of it.
• The changing student demographic – The regular University student is no longer an 18-year-old. The student demographic today includes a large proportion of working adults who attend college part time, are lifelong learners, who may seek reskilling or upskilling and may even be juggling childcare. The onus therefore is on Universities to offer a holistic yet flexible education experience that fits a multitude of student profiles rather than a stereotype and equips them with real-life skills. For example, Heriot-Watt University Dubai’s Engineering Doctorate (EngD) in Construction is an alternative to the traditional PhD that offers working professionals the flexibility to continue working, is sponsored by the student’s employer, and allows them to tailor it to the business needs of their employer.
• Shift in demand for programmes – With growing awareness of the need to develop skills for the future, we are seeing a clear shift in demand for certain programmes. The increased adoption of technology will mean in-demand skills across jobs change over the next five years, and skills gaps will continue to be high. In fact, a study by the World Economic Forum states that the Fourth Industrial Revolution will bring about changes that will result in needing to reskill more than 1 billion people by 2030. However, this will be accompanied by an equal need to continue to develop specialized skills such as creativity, collaboration, problem solving and similar soft skills.

Later this year, we will be launching our new and digitally enabled campus that is located in Knowledge Village and spread out over 220,000 sq ft. Designed keeping the changing market requirements in mind, the campus will include several social learning spaces, a dedicated Maths Gym for mathematics support, a student hub for recreation, clubs and societies, and spaces to allow staff and researchers to create and operate businesses as well as interact and work with business leaders and entrepreneurs.

Whilst the new landscape can be challenging at times, it also makes studying and working in higher education right now interesting and exciting!