KT speaks to a cross-section of professors and students about the usefulness of programmes

Higher education in Dubai has come a long way over the last decade as tens of new universities opened doors to a growing student community. Like last year when over 8,000 students graduated from private universities in Dubai, universities are continuing to create a young workforce looking for employment in local markets.

However, these questions remain to be answered. Are these young graduates capable enough to support the needs of a constantly changing workplace? Do they have the skill sets needed to make their way to a successful career? Or is the higher education restrained in its approach to employer demands?

Khaleej Times caught up with a cross-section of students and university professors to know their thoughts. Here is what some of them had to say.

Prof Mohammad Dulaimi,

Professor of Construction Management at The British University in Dubai

“If you ask a group of industrialists, from any industry, what skills and knowledge the future professional needs, do not expect one answer. To make matters more complicated, you may find some foreign universities focus on markets other than the local one. Such universities deliver programmes that have been designed ‘back home’ and hence reflect the needs of those markets. They may argue that this is because the students they cater for are mainly interested in working back home.”

Dr Kirti Khanzode, 
Assistant Professor of English and Management at the 
Institute of Management 
Technology,

Dubai

“University courses are continuously evolving and curriculums are constantly updated to ensure that students are exposed to the latest market trends and practices. Over the last few years, the education sector has witnessed several changes. To guide students into the corporate world, they are given professional advice and career counselling by qualified experts, who lead students and help them decide a career path.”

Nitin Anand, Director, Academic Support Services, Skyline 
University College, UAE

“We are preparing students to meet the challenges of the 21^st century by constantly developing programmes that suit the needs of future graduates within the industry. Moving from the agricultural 19^th century and the industrial 20^th century, the world in the 21^st century is experiencing not only a burgeoning of knowledge but also of innovation. The idea is to not only educate students but also to hone cognitive skills, intellectual concepts and attitudes critical to survive in contemporary times.”

Lavanya Narayan, Media and Communications student, Manipal Univeristy, Dubai Campus

“The theoretical aspect of college courses are very in depth and students generally believe university education will get them through to a good start. However, this isn’t the case. The world is changing everyday and new inventions seem to appear in the blink of an eye. Universities need to prepare students for a world with constant change, rather than encourage them to ‘mug up’ in the hope of a good career.”

Pavan Jangla, Mechanical 
Engineering student, 
Heriot Watt University

“Academics provide a good deal of theoretical knowledge needed to succeed in a career. However, the skills and exposure received, in terms of the hands-on projects and deadlines in a real office, come across as being more important. Internships are definitely important as they give an opportunity to understand the professional world of projects and deadlines.”

Hardik Rathod, student, 
Heriot Watt University

“Colleges in Dubai have improved quite evidently over the last five years but they still lack the quality found in the UK, the USA or Canada. The good thing is many universities now offer different courses which were not available before which gives employers access to a large talent pool with varied expertise. However, I still believe there is a lot of scope for improvement in the quality of higher education available here.”

muaz@khaleejtimes.com