A Study of the UAE Higher Education Sector in Light of Dubai’s Strategic Objectives
Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences
ISSN: 1026-4116
Article publication date: 1 June 2008
Abstract
We provide an overview of the state of the higher education system in the UAE, and investigate its capacity to supply Dubai’s economy with skilled labor and achieve the emirate’s strategic social development objectives. We examine various characteristics of the higher education sector and discuss their inherent strengths and weaknesses in light of Dubai’s labor market needs. Our findings reveal that the UAE higher education sector has witnessed an impressive growth since 1997 mostly led by a vigorous expansion of the private higher education sector. This situation led to a substantial growth in higher education opportunities for the UAE population. However, the lack of development of graduate studies and the lower quality of graduates, as perceived by both employees and employers, represent the main challenges to the capacity of the sector in fulfilling the needs of Dubai’s economy.
Keywords
Citation
Hijazi, R., Zoubeidi, T., Abdalla, I., Al‐Waqfi, M. and Harb, N. (2008), "A Study of the UAE Higher Education Sector in Light of Dubai’s Strategic Objectives", Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 68-81. https://doi.org/10.1108/10264116200800004
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited