DKP: Ecosystem of best education practices

Dubai Knowledge Park strives to inspire and sustain academic excellence in a progressive city

Dubai Knowledge Park is the world's only ecosystem dedicated to human resource management and learning excellence. It was established in 2003 to strengthen Dubai's position as a destination for professional development and has contributed to the UAE's growing global reputation as a higher education provider.

Today, the community is home to more than 500 business partners who have helped introduce global best practices and industry standards to the UAE. This has enabled Dubai to become a knowledge-based economy by creating a rich talent pool that drives transformation across various industries.

The business community offers an ecosystem that enables empowerment through knowledge and the development of professionals, bringing together a unique blend of programmes encompassing human resource management, consultancy, training, personal development and higher education. It provides a range of streamlined services and solutions from its innovative customer service centre that has enabled hundreds of businesses to establish specialised training centres for a broad range of disciplines ranging from fine art and cookery to foreign languages, IT, and professional management and development.

Some of the academic institutes in Dubai Knowledge Park include the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD), the University of Exeter, Abu Dhabi University Dubai Campus, Hult International Business School, Murdoch University Dubai, and Middlesex University Dubai, Heriot-Watt University Dubai.

In June, the first Australian university in the UAE, UOWD, announced plans to inaugurate its new purpose-built 200,000 sq ft campus in the community later this year. The state-of-the-art space blends modern architecture with a mix of traditional and innovative learning areas designed to inspire thousands of students and help advance their academic aspirations.

When it opens its doors in 2020, the campus will offer more than 44 programmes from foundation courses to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees spanning an array of different sectors. As the university is ranked among the top one per cent in the world, according to the QS World University Rankings, its prestigious reputation demonstrates that the UAE continues to be an attractive destination for international educators.  

Heriot-Watt University Dubai also plans to open a 218,000 sq ft campus in the Dubai Knowledge Park, with staff and students set to come onboard in January 2021 - the same year Heriot-Watt celebrates its founding bicentenary.

When a foreign university sets out to establish an overseas presence, Dubai's infrastructure and ease of doing business are an attractive asset. The emirate is often ranked as one of the most business-friendly destinations in the world and its world-class infrastructure has transformed it into an international hub for talent, investment and innovation.

This sustainable development has enabled Dubai Knowledge Park to attract globally recognised companies and universities to the UAE. It has helped to establish and enhance the opportunities for local and international students which, in turn, has allowed them to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Dubai.

By creating a community focused on driving education forward by turning knowledge into a never-ending journey, Dubai Knowledge Park has become an important part of the UAE's academic infrastructure. This fully integrated ecosystem promotes learning, personal development and the pursuit of higher education. It is encouraging more local and international students every year to consider Dubai as a vibrant place to further their academic aspirations.

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