Zayed University has just entered the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the first time, and its College of Business has ambitious expansion plans
The College of Business at Zayed University – based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – is the largest college on its state-of-the-art campus, which is located in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The campus serves about 2,700 undergraduates studying across four programmes, while the faculty is currently made up of about 80 professors originating from more than 30 countries. Students can major in key aspects of corporate learning, including human resource management, accounting, entrepreneurship and finance.
Zayed University was recently ranked in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the first time, making it one of only five UAE institutions to be part of the rankings.
The college holds accreditations from both the UAE Ministry of Education’s (MOE) Commission for Academic Accreditation and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which is the world’s leading accreditation body for business schools. Now, it aims to expand its reputation globally by growing its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. In partnership with the MOE, the university has plans to open an elite business school in the college, operating with its own strict admissions requirements.
“The school will be elite in terms of rigour in content and delivery, infusing analytics and [artificial intelligence (AI)]. The admission standard will be higher, there will be an option to gain international experience,” explains Dr Fatima Al-Ali, acting dean of the College of Business.
The college has been working with the MOE to establish course content that will be useful to the regional economy, and the first phase will include undergraduate courses in management science, finance and economics, starting in autumn 2021. There are also plans to expand courses for graduates in the college itself – currently, it offers master’s programmes in business administration and finance, but aims to open the graduate scheme to other core business disciplines.
“There is so much support for research and professional development at the college,” adds Dr Al-Ali. “We support faculty in the three key areas of teaching, research and service, getting them ready for promotion. My motivation is that if you come here, it’s not a transition period; we want you to make this your home for the long term.”
Candidates for new faculty positions at the college should possess a PhD from a top-200 AACSB-accredited school. In addition to research and teaching experience, industry experience and a higher education certificate are desirable.
The courses on offer often attract expert guest speakers from the world of business, and students will have the opportunity to visit regional employers or factory facilities to see processes in action. The college has also launched the largest Bloomberg Finance Lab in the Middle East, which is integrated in the curriculum and faculty research.
Teaching and research partnerships with other institutions in the region are also supported. For example, Zayed encourages its students to learn from Khalifa University’s expertise in AI. “As we’re working on a brand-new programme, we’re trying to collaborate with other universities and colleges’ faculties, including a joint programme on actuarial maths,” Dr Al-Ali adds. She attributes the university’s recent climb in the rankings to its improved research output. For example, the college’s research productivity has more than doubled in the past four years.
New faculty members will teach students to think critically, solve problems and take on the leadership roles of the future – as well as participate in crucial research that will cement the college’s reputation for years to come.
Explore available roles at Zayed University here.
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