Dubai has launched itself into being one of the pioneers in collegiate and university education over the last decade. The UAE government has been crafting this mega city into being a major education destination for students from around the world. And this effort shows in terms of facts and figures:
The numbers behind Dubai's rising educational prowess
The city of Dubai currently hosts 290,000 students in over 209 private schools. This accounts for a staggering €2 billion in revenues! The education sector in the city grew by 2.9% over the last year, and almost 90% of the students pursing higher education here are expats or those of foreign nationalities. All this speaks a lot for the rise of the education sector in the UAE.
A multicultural ethos for students
Because of the support of the immensely broad-minded UAE government, several universities from around the world have set up base in Dubai. These include noted names in education from countries like India, Russia, Pakistan, the UK, Australia and Canada. Most of these campuses are set up in Dubai's Knowledge Village.
Dubai holds itself to much pride by having the highest concentration of university branches in the world, with some of the crown jewels being the campuses of the London Business School and the University of South Wales.
Why is Dubai getting so much popularity as a global education destination?
The rise of this city in the education sector stems from a few key efforts of the government and authorities in power such as:
- A long-term vision for education executed by the UAE government.
- Because of the Ministry of Higher Education's compulsory formal education requirements.
- A rise in business, which brought in expat families who decided to pursue education in Dubai due to professional factors and job opportunities.
- Because the fabric of many cultures have been coexisting in peace for decades, providing the area the peace and stability essential for the progress of a good education system.
- The grant of the government to choose from foreign curricula like the SATs (US system), the GCE O/AS/A level exams (UK system), CBSE/ICSE (Indian system) or French baccalaureate.
- Due to flexibility in selecting courses, timetables, schedules and subjects in universities that value the vibrant ethos and working class time restrictions.
The recent Brexit event has also propelled many families into choosing Dubai for their family's higher education as it allows for much needed long-term stability. The uncertainty of life post-Brexit has got many people debating whether returning and settling down in the UK is really a good idea.
Schemes to popularize education
Dubai has always aimed at providing courses that are flexible in nature so that people from diverse backgrounds, incomes and job requirements can pursue education in the city. To further incentivize the field of education for teachers and spouses of the expats, the UAE government recently announced the Global Teacher Prize. This annual competition recognizes one teacher from around the world who has made exceptional contribution in the field of education. The Global Teacher Prize of 2019 was announced by the Hollywood actor and former teacher, Hugh Jackman.
With so much in store for both teachers and students, who wouldn’t consider getting their education in this diverse and eventful city?
