Outputs and meeting the Ministry’s standards are the basis for evaluating universities

The Director of the Academic Accreditation Commission at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Samira Al-Mulla, said that the universities will be evaluated based on the outcomes and the extent to which they meet the standards set by the Ministry, to ensure that what is required of them is achieved within the general framework of the new higher education system.

She stated that student employment accounts for 20% of the general framework in the new higher education system, noting that there are indicators, among other criteria, that have a major role in the university’s cooperation with economic authorities in the labor market, and the student’s involvement in the labor market.

Dr. Samira Al-Mulla said, in recent statements to journalists, that the process of accrediting university programs has transformed from office work, collecting files and documents, and studying papers, to a system that focuses on the quality of the educational output.

She added: “The Ministry is focusing on ensuring the efficiency of universities in the mechanisms for correct application of the new framework, and the provision of correct data by higher education institutions is the most important aspect of that process.”

She added: “The universities will be evaluated based on the outcomes and the extent to which they meet the standards set by the Ministry. Thus, the university will have achieved what is required of it, as it is expected that the results of the evaluation will be announced to the universities, as well as the accredited programs.”

She explained that the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research encourages cooperation between universities, international bodies, and entities in the labor market, to identify transformations and changes in the job market, and to work to develop academic programs that help students acquire the required skills and knowledge, and enable them to engage in the labor market, after studying. University with ease.

Al-Mulla pointed out that the national framework for university classification includes four main axes: scientific research and innovation, which is 35%, quality of teaching and student life, which is 35%, employment and compatibility with the labor market, which is 20%, and finally, global character, which is 10%.

She said that the national framework for university classification focuses on creating a competitive environment among universities in the country, to provide the best academic programs and quality of outcomes, and to help parents and students choose the majors and universities that suit their inclinations and abilities, in accordance with the needs of the labor market and the country’s trends.

She pointed out that the comprehensive development processes witnessed by the sector are “radical and pivotal,” and focus on two important aspects: the student’s educational journey, and the journey of higher education institutions, as they constitute basic pillars in the process of university education.

She said that the universities’ journey includes two basic paths: the first focuses on issuing a license, and the second simulates the accreditation of academic programs, as the “licensing and program accreditation” journey, which used to take between six and nine months, has been reduced to a week or two at most, through the new system. In accordance with the procedures and standards set by the Ministry, the content of its work focuses on the quality of the educational product.

She pointed out that the new system is more flexible and faster in implementation, and among the most prominent developments it carries are those that emulate universities licensed by accredited educational bodies outside the country, where they can obtain a license immediately to conduct their work in the Emirates with complete ease, as well as academic programs that have received accreditation. International will be immediately approved by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, so that universities can activate it and get students involved in it very quickly.

Regarding the standards for enrolling and accepting students in universities, the Director of the Commission for Academic Accreditation at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Samira Al-Mulla, said that the Ministry sets the general framework of basic standards for universities to rely on in building their standards when accepting and registering students, making it more flexible, simple and quick in the process. Registration, explaining that the Ministry is also concerned with reviewing these standards developed by universities before implementing them, to ensure their compatibility with the goals of the new higher education system.