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Saturday 21 November 2009 (UAE)
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University Quality Assurance International Board (UQAIB)
The University Quality Assurance International Board (UQAIB, not UQAB) was established by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority Dubai (KHDA) in 2008 to assess and license universities operating in the education free zones in Dubai like Academic City (DIAC) and Knowledge Village (KV). This is different from accreditation from the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), a federal body that monitors tertiary institutes and courses for the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR).
The usefulness of the UQAIB is to smooth over some of the hiccups that students encountered when they obtained a degree from an institute or course (some institutes are accredited but not for all courses that are offered) that had not been accredited by the CAA.
- Federal public organisations (the police, the military, government departments, etc) will not recognize qualifications from non-accredited institutions.
- Private organisations may recognise qualifications from non-accredited institutions but the UAE Ministry of Labour must attest degrees before a work permit can be issued, and that can be a time-consuming process if the degree did not come from a CAA accredited university or college - the certificate has to go back to the home country university.
- Accredited institutions will not accept undergraduate degrees as prerequisites for post-graduate study if a student wants to transfer from a non-accredited college or university.
However, if the free zone universities and colleges can get a licence from the UQAIB, then that may mean graduates can apply for government jobs, or have an easier time of it getting a work permit in the private sector.
- UQAIB chairman is Dr Warren Fox, he is also the executive director of higher education at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).
- The UAQIB hopes to complete licensing of all tertiary institutes in DIAC and DKV by February 2009.
- UQAIB board members come from a wide range of countries, including UK, US, India, Hong Kong, South Africa.
- The UQAIB is applying for membership to the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE), which is an international higher education quality assurance organisation.
- As the KHDA is a Dubai authority rather than a federal one, and Ras Al Khaimah is a different emirate it seems unlikely that universities in the RAK Free Trade Zone (RAKFTZ) will be able to apply for a UQAIB licence.
- There are no Education Free Zones in Abu Dhabi so the UQAIB idea is moot there. All Abu Dhabi based universities and colleges are presumably accredited, or applying to be accredited, by the MOHESR CAA. Abu Dhabi includes the city of Al Ain.
- Students of colleges in other emirates should check if the institute is accredited by the MOHESR.
Now, let's just review all those acronyms again. The UQAIB is a new organisation under the umbrella of the KHDA. The INQAAHE is not, but the UQAIB wants to join the INQAAHE, which is unrelated to the CAA and the MOHESR but you need CAA accreditation for a federal job in the UAE or for MOL attestation of your BA, BSc, MBA etc but if the UQAIB does join the INQAAHE, it might become easier for DIAC and DKV institute degrees to be recognised in the UAE. GI*?
*Got it?
Last update Tuesday 02-Jun-2009
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