Insights from a British Professor: Perspectives on Academia in the UAE

-by Cheryl Yu

Image by Wix

If you want to understand international education in a particular place, data can provide a clear overall direction. However, I firmly believe that lived experiences bring depth and colour to this picture by sharing stories and perspectives.

Similarly, I find that the easiest way to learn about a place is by comparing it to another—relative measurements and comparisons help us better understand where we stand. I had the great honour of interviewing the international education practitioner and researcher Professor Stephen Wilkins, who shares his perspective and experience about international education in the UAE.

Cheryl Yu: Please kindly tell us a little bit about yourself.

Stephen Wilkins: I have 30 years of teaching and leadership experience in post-compulsory education. Twelve of those years were spent working in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In my last position as a professor at The British University in Dubai I held various positions, including Head of Graduate Programs – Business and Management. I also taught as a visiting lecturer in Hong Kong for a number of years.

I am now retired from full-time academic work, but I continue supervising doctoral students and I am one of the associate editors of Studies in Higher Education.

Cheryl Yu: What made you move to Dubai in the first place and then again?

Stephen Wilkins: My first period of lecturing in Dubai was the result of seizing an opportunity that arose. In 1998, I became one of the founding members of the academic staff at Dubai Polytechnic, which is now the University of Dubai.

With my previous work experience in retail management, the original intention was that I would establish a degree program in retail management. I was told the market research had been done before I arrived. Although the program was launched, it never attracted a single applicant. At that time, there was little understanding of vocational education in the UAE and it was not seen as attractive to students. So, I ended up leading the professional management programs, which were accredited by NEBS Management in the UK.

After four years, I returned to the UK to start a family.

Several years later, after I had achieved a PhD, the UAE became attractive once again for two reasons.

With my main research interest being transnational education and specifically international branch campuses, Dubai was the perfect location in which to be based. Furthermore, working conditions had deteriorated considerably in the United Kingdom, whereas in Dubai, advancement to full professor was much more achievable in a reasonable timescale. Other advantages were small classes with motivated students, tax free income, and nice weather.

Cheryl Yu: What are the biggest differences between the HE in Dubai/UAE and the UK from your experience? 

Stephen Wilkins: As an academic, overall, the working conditions are much better in Dubai and the UAE, compared to the UK. However, the paternalistic authoritarian management style takes a bit of getting used to.

Initially, teaching mainly graduate courses, I found that the vast majority of students studied on a part-time basis. Even on the doctoral programs in my university, which had more than 250 students, 95% of the students were working professionals.

They are serious, motivated and hard-working. Outside public universities that cater for UAE nationals, UAE classrooms are much more diverse in terms of students’ nationalities, religions and backgrounds.

Some programs have students of more than thirty or forty nationalities, and most students outside the public universities are resident expatriates, whereas, in the UK, international students tend to come from clusters of a few countries, like China, India and Nigeria. International students in the UK suffer from more culture shock as they are new to the country.

Cheryl Yu: What are the same characteristics?

Stephen Wilkins: Higher education internationalization has seen most countries globally become more homogenous in terms of teaching and learning methods, use of technology, assessment, and the need to develop students’ soft skills. The UAE is no exception.

The UAE’s accreditation standards are based on international specifications, and quality assurance is second to none. Many universities have developed from being teaching-focused institutions to now producing cutting-edge research and innovation, particularly in fields such as energy.

Cheryl Yu: Please can you kindly share with us about HE in general in Dubai/UAE?  And where might it be in 5-10 years’ time?

Stephen Wilkins: The Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) is the regulatory and quality assurance agency responsible for the evaluation and accreditation of higher educational institutions in the UAE.

However, international branch campuses located in free zones may be regulated by local bodies, such as the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai. The UAE has a range of higher education institutions that include the public universities such as UAE and Zayed Universities, private universities such as Sharjah University and the American University of Sharjah, and international branch campuses.

The flagship branch campus is New York University Abu Dhabi, which is highly selective in its student recruitment and which is fully funded by the Abu Dhabi government. There are more than 35 other international branch campuses spread across the seven emirates.

The UAE higher education market is very competitive. In recent years, several institutions ceased operations, either because they failed to attract sufficient students or because they were closed by the regulatory bodies for failing to meet regulatory standards. The higher education market is now almost saturated, so we are unlikely to see many new universities established, although a new National University of Dubai is in the planning stages.

It is widely believed that some smaller institutions may merge in order to be more competitive and to benefit from economies of scale.

Cheryl Yu: What are the new developments in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East in general?

Stephen Wilkins: Geopolitics have begun to have a negative impact in the Middle East. Recently, Texas A&M University announced that it would be closing its campus in Qatar, citing regional instability as a major reason for the decision.

Alternatively, reforms in Saudi Arabia are opening higher education opportunities for Western Universities. Establishing the country as a global education hub is a component of the Saudi Vision 2030 development plan, and five foreign universities have already been approved to open a branch campus.

Saudi Arabia has a relatively young population, with more than a quarter of individuals aged under 14. There is an unfulfilled demand for higher education, so Saudi Arabia may become attractive to foreign institutions seeking international expansion. Other institutions may tread carefully because of human rights concerns and issues such as academic freedom. In future, campus development opportunities may also occur in Bahrain and the Sultanate of Oman, but the regulatory framework is not yet developed to facilitate this.