Zayed University (ZU; Arabic: جامعة زايد) is a public university based in the United Arab Emirates. Established in 1998,[2] it is one of the three government-sponsored higher education institutions in the UAE. It is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.[2]
جامعة زايد | |
Other name | ZU |
---|---|
Motto | Your success is our legacy[citation needed] |
Established | 1998 |
President | Shamma Al Mazrui |
Students | 7,748 [1] |
Location | , UAE |
Campus | Urban |
Website | www |
In 1998, Zayed University was founded by the federal government of the United Arab Emirates.[2] The university only accepted women UAE nationals until 2008,[3] after the opening of its Sweihan campus in collaboration with the UAE Armed Forces.[4]
University rankings | |
---|---|
Global – Overall | |
QS World[5] | 701–710 (2024) |
THE World[6] | 401–500 (2024) |
It is accredited by the UAE Commission for Academic Accreditation[7] and Middle States Commission on Higher Education.[8]
The university was featured in the QS World Rankings at 701–710 in 2024[9], and was ranked 20 out of 180 in the 2022 QS World University Arab Rankings.[10]
In 2008, Zayed University received accreditation from the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.[11] It received re-accreditation in 2013.[12] Between 12-7-2023 and 31 October 2023, the Commission requested a series of reports demonstrating compliance with the standards of the accreditation.[13] By November 2023, the commission notified ZU that it is non-compliant.[14] News reports speculated that the loss of the U.S accreditation would have strong implications, including potential closure.[15] Zayed University remains non-compliant with the accreditation commission as of 24-4-2024.[16]
Through the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation Continuous Improvement Commission (CAEP),[17] in 2013[verification needed], the College of Education received accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education for its B.S. Communication and Media Sciences.[18]
The university offers 17 majors and 10 minors at the undergraduate level and 10 master's degrees,[19] and has eight colleges: the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, the College of Business, the College of Communication and Media Sciences, the College of Education, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the College of Natural and Health Sciences, the College of Technological Innovation, and the College of Interdisciplinary Studies.[19]
Zayed University offers student accessibility services, libraries, a film archive, and a learning commons.
Zayed University supports faculty and student research through research training programs, fellowships and grants.[20] In 2014, the university invested 4,687,269 AED in internal research funds.[20]
This grant funds faculty research over a period of one to two years and was designed to support and enhance the research culture at Zayed University.[21] Researchers receive grants that range from a maximum of 30,000AED for individual one year projects to a maximum of 150,000AED for team grants.[21]
A new initiative was established in 2016 to encourage cross-discipline collaboration among faculty.[22] A maximum of 50,000AED per project is allocated.[22]
The university has several labs for the following colleges: College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, College of Business, College of Communication and Media Sciences, College of Natural and Health Sciences, College of Technological Innovation.
The Undergraduate Research Scholars Program was launched in 2010 to encourage and support undergraduate student research.[23] The program provides students with faculty mentorship, workshops and lectures over a two and a half year period[24] during the course of their studies. Students are expected to produce original research that is submitted to international academic journals at the end of the program.[24]
In 2009,[25] Zayed University announced plans for the construction of a new campus in Abu Dhabi[26] to meet the needs of a growing student population in the capital city.[27] The campus was designed by German architect, Hadi Teherani, and was inspired by the desert environment in which it would be constructed.[25] The campus was completed and operational in 2011. The new campus is located in Zayed City in Abu Dhabi and covers an area of 77 Hectares with a total built up area of 188,500sqm.[28]
The university's Dubai campus moved to its current location in Al Ruwayyah, near Academic City, Dubai in 2006 from near the northern end of the Abu Dhabi peninsula, on Delma Street.[29]
In November 2018, The Zayed University Food Court, situated in Academic City, Dubai, was designed and built.[30]
In December 2010, the Federal National Council queried the competency of the university's senior management. According to The National, Zayed University was reported to owe over Dh33 million in unpaid water and electricity bills.[31]
Also according to The National, three people held the position of provost between April and June 2011, with a total of seven provosts between 1998 and 2011.[32]
In 2012, the effectiveness of its teacher education program was questioned. According to The National, none of the 110 teachers it produced between 2010 and 2012 were employed by the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC)which allegedly claimed the university produced 'lazy and poorly skilled graduates'.[33]
Following Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Maitha Al Shamsi was instated as president in 2013.[34] Al Shamsi was followed by Lubna Khalid Al Qasimi, who was appointed president in 2014.[35] In July 2023, Shamma Al Mazrui, the UAE's Minister of Community Development, was appointed as the new chair of the board of trustees.[36][37] As well as existing concerns over academic integrity, transparency, and plagiarism at Zayed University, concerns have been raised about the weak academic credentials and lack of international experience among the new management.[38]
The professor, Matt J. Duffy, expressed concern that his activities—i.e. 'writing for Gulf News, launching a student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, and teaching objectively about the U.A.E.'s media law', may have led to his dismissal.[39] Despite claiming to follow Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights in its MSCHE Self-Study ("Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers"), the university refuses to comment on the case in public.[40]
Materials deemed to be offensive are removed from the University Library, or are deposited in a locked holding space called Special Collections. Students must obtain faculty approval in order to access these materials, which include books on nursing, art magazines, human sexuality, and books containing views critical of religion.[41] Librarians at Zayed University are instructed to consider censorship and culturally appropriate attitudes toward access and authority when teaching information literacy.[42]
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