Zayed University

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Zayed University


Established:	1998
Type:	Public
President:	Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan
Provost:	Lois Muir
Location:	Dubai & Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Website:	www.zu.ac.ae

Zayed University (ZU) is a higher educational institution United Arab Emirates. It was established in 1998 and named in honor of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the country's first president.

Zayed University's mission, according to its website [2], "is to prepare Emirati students for a meaningful and successful twenty-first century personal and professional life; to graduate students who will help shape the future of the UAE; to support the economic and social advancement of the UAE; to lead innovation in higher education in the UAE through teaching, learning, research, and outreach; and to do so in a culturally diverse, humane, technologically advanced, and increasingly global environment."

Zayed University has two campuses in the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, serving around 3,000 female students. The Dubai Campus moved to a new purpose-built location in September 2006, and enrollment is hoped to increase to 5,000. Zayed University is organized academically into five colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business Sciences, Communication and Media Sciences, Education, and Information Technology.

English is the medium of instruction except in courses in Arabic and Islamic studies. Because of this, students may need to spend up to two years in an English language preparatory program before entering the bachelor's program. The first two years in the university are in a general education program (Colloquy), providing a broad grounding in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Students then move into the majors which are housed in the colleges.

Research and outreach are given particular emphasis at the university. A Research Incentive Fund provides up to US$325,000 in assistance annually to support research and scholarly and creative endeavors, stimulating ideas and interests which benefit faculty, the University and the UAE. ZU is increasingly hosting prestigious international events. In 2006, the Women as Global Leaders Conference, organized by Zayed University, attracted delegates 88 countries and leading women speakers including Queen Rania of Jordan and former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson.

Former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, speaks at ZU's Women as Global Leaders Conference in Abu Dhabi, 2006.

The university offers a number of graduate programs in business, health care and educational leadership.

Zayed University is a Candidate for Accreditation by the U.S.-based Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Candidate for Accreditation is a status of affiliation with a regional accrediting commission which indicates that an institution has achieved recognition and is progressing toward, but is not assured of, accreditation. It has provided evidence of sound planning, seems to have the resources to implement the plans, and appears to have the potential for obtaining its goals within a reasonable time.

The College of Communication and Media Sciences has recently had its Public Relations and Advertising major accredited by the International Advertising Association. ^[1] This program has the distinction of being the only major program at Zayed University which has achieved full accreditation by an external agency.