Emiratis One-Third of Class and Focus on Master of Science in Project Management
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The British University in Dubai (BUiD) celebrated a record year following its largest graduating class to date, as postgraduate students from a range of disciplines received Masters Degrees and Postgraduate Diplomas today.
The graduation ceremony - held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Department of Civil Aviation, Chairman and CEO of Emirates Group, and Chancellor of The British University in Dubai - witnessed 53 students receiving their postgraduate awards, nearly one-third of whom are UAE nationals.
BUiD provides its students, which include young professionals, leading academic, corporate managers and aspiring leaders of all description, with the region's first research-based postgraduate university experience, allowing the students to develop in-depth research and developmental skills that can be applied for their current and future career progression.
"Now more than ever, applicants holding postgraduate awards in higher education have better job experiences, opportunities and prospects," said Dr Abdullah Alshamsi, Vice-Chancellor, The British University in Dubai.
"With the UAE and the rest of the Middle East developing at a fast pace, graduate study in project management is an ideal programme choice for students looking to develop their careers in the region. At the same time, our suite of programmes addresses the full range of key management and leadership disciplines for a knowledge-based economy and society. I am confident that our graduates are bright leaders and we hope our degrees will encourage more UAE-based students to accelerate their career pathway by providing rigorous and advanced postgraduate studies," added Alshamsi.
This year, more than 50 percent of the graduating students - and 80 percent of the Emirati graduates - completed their Master of Science in Project Management, a field that has seen a surge in the number of applicants in recent years.
In addition, for the first time BUiD witnessed graduates receiving Master of Science in Finance and Banking this year - another discipline attracting a growing number of students.
BUiD also graduated the first batch of students who completed their Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) as part of the 'Teach in Dubai' programme - a joint initiative between BUiD and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) to encourage Emirati nationals (male and female) and Arab expatriates who live in the UAE to make a place for themselves in the education sector.
From the 2009 graduating class, 12 students - double the 2008 number - have passed their programmes with Distinction, the highest available award for Masters Degree students. For the Master of Science, Aamena Alshamsi and Suad Salem Al-shamsi- both UAE national - were awarded Distinction in Information Technology and Muna Abdelhakim Al Seeni in Project Management.
BUiD also awarded five outstanding students who completed their Master of Education with the highest Distinction of merit.
Companies that have sponsored employees to undertake research-based, post-graduate education and who are graduating this year include Arabtec, Dubai Police,TECOM, and Lloyds TSB. In addition, scholarships were provided by Atkins, Emirates Foundation, KHDA, Ministry of Presidential Affairs, and BUiD Council.
"BUiD's ongoing success is largely due to the commitment and support from our friends and founders, who include the Al Maktoum Foundation, the British Business Group, the Dubai Development and Investment Authority, the National Bank of Dubai, and Rolls-Royce and of course the university's council members " concluded Alshamsi.
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About The British University in Dubai
The British University in Dubai (BUiD) is the Middle East's leading research-based postgraduate university, facilitating world-class education, training and research. It provides an important and growing community and resource for young professionals, leading academic, corporate managers and aspiring leaders of all description.
BUiD, a truly local university, is accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and internationally recognised for its top quality education, which is on par with British standards thanks to its association with UK-based universities including the University of Edinburgh, the University of Birmingham, the University of Manchester, Cardiff University and the Cass Business School at City University, London.
BUiD offers full and part-time research based Masters Degree programmes, the regions first accredited Doctorate in Education and Continuing Professional Development courses in: Education, Finance and Banking, Human Resource Management, Information Technology, IT Management, Project Management, Systems Engineering, and Sustainable Design of the Built Environment.
The non-profit university has attracted academic experts to develop regionally tailored programmes, in which they extend and challenge the boundaries of knowledge, understanding and research.
BUiD works in collaboration with leading organization and institutions including Atkins, Emirates Green Council Building, KHDA, Ministry of Education, Dubai Human Resource Forum, Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ADCCI) and CIOB among others, to encourage professional development across the UAE's public and private sectors.
The founders of the University are the Al Maktoum Foundation, the Dubai Development and Investment Authority, Rolls-Royce, the British Business Group and the National Bank of Dubai. The University is governed by a Council under the chairmanship of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
For further enquiries call BUiD on +971.4.391.3626, www.buid.ac.ae
© Press Release 2009
