UAE universities set to be given star ratings

Colleges and universities across the UAE will be issued with star ratings in a bid to boost the quality of post-secondary education, the Ministry of Education has announced.

The ratings will be assigned to all licensed colleges and universities as part of the National Higher Education Strategy 2030, which was approved by the UAE Cabinet this week.

The Minister of State for Higher Education, Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi said: “The strategy is made up of four pillars – quality, relevance, innovation and efficiency.

“Together, the pillars will help build a generation that is productive and equipped with the knowledge and skill-set to contribute to the development of a knowledge-based economy.”

A pilot of the star rating system will be tested among a select number of universities early next year, with a full roll-out expected in the third quarter.

Institutions will be rated on factors including quality of teaching, reputation, internationalisation, and the quality, quantity and impact of their research.

Furthermore, each university will be given a publicly-available quality assurance report by the ministry, detailing their strengths and weaknesses.