Work permits will promote affordability in education: KHDA

Top Stories

Work permits will promote affordability in education: KHDA
Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director-General of KHDA.

The decree issued by the Ministry of HR and Emiratisation in July granting students employment opportunities is a great start Dr Karam said.

by

Kelly Clarke

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

Published: Thu 13 Oct 2016, 7:50 PM

Last updated: Fri 14 Oct 2016, 8:43 AM

Figures from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) put the number of overseas students in Dubai universities at 30 per cent (of 26,125 students).
But as international demand continues to drive forward the higher education sector, what factors are needed to increase this influx of students?
"Student work permits, scholarships, and other facilities like accommodation," according to Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director-General of KHDA.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, he said higher education is increasingly being driven by international demand.
"This year, we measured the percentage of students in our universities who came especially to Dubai to study and it was about 30 per cent. We now need to focus on other factors to increase this number."
The decree issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation in July granting students employment opportunities is a great start Dr Karam said.
Though the decree has not yet come into practice, he said the KHDA is currently "working with the proper authorities on the permits for overseas students to work part-time."
And it is a move which will promote affordability in the education market.
"Today we are mainly attracting students who have money to pay for four years of study. But if you look in the UK and US, many students are in education due to scholarships, and many have savings to pay for tuition because of the option to work part time," he said.
They are also looking at the availability of scholarships for students within different industries here.
"If students come here and study for four years, they get to know the place. We need to look at life after graduation, and we are trying to guarantee our students work here. That is important."
So can we expect to see more universities coming up here?
Dr Warren Fox, Chief of Higher Education, Universities & Colleges Agency at KHDA told Khaleej Times, yes.
"We actually have several applications in front of us now, for universities from four or five different countries. So we do expect the growth to continue."
kelly@khaleejtimes.com


More news from