Higher Education in United Arab Emirates
The higher education system is integrated with the general education system within the UAE's national educational system, which builds on each other and provides a properly qualified and integrated cadre that serves all sectors of society.
The education system in the United Arab Emirates is characterized by the National Qualifications System (QFEMRIS). It is a national policy for all qualifications, from general education to higher education. The system of national qualifications comprises 10 levels and it links schools to vocational and university education qualifications; to be a single national system, allowing easy transition from one level of study to another or from one institution to another.
The higher education system consists of stages, each of which corresponds to a specific level in the National Qualification System in the UAE.
The Ministry of Education is moving forward to complete the process of developing and comprehensively and radically changing educational frameworks and streams as per a modern educational philosophy. The ministry initiated this philosophy with the launch of the Emirati School, which is based on the best international systems and pioneering and successful experiences within a national and sharing pattern and framework with all leading government and private educational institutions across the UAE.
The ministry’s move is in line with the wise leadership’s national visions aimed at achieving sustainable education by highlighting the need for continuous lifelong learning, enhancing the role of technology in serving the educational process, ensuring the best educational practices and modern curricula and establishing innovation as a lifestyle with a view to building a generation armed with the skills of this age and proud of its national identity.
In this context, the Ministry of Education seeks to define the future of education to produce a generation aware of what life requires and how to keep pace with its developments, this being a method of work to fulfill the requirements of knowledge-based economy and sustainable development. This stems from a keen educational vision by the Ministry of Education based on firmly established values derived from the federal government’s vision and its strategic plans, organizational structures and development initiatives to achieve the national agenda indicators as part of a working system based on dedication and excellence.
Ministry of Education Strategic Objectives
- Ensure inclusive quality education including pre-school education.
- Achieve excellent leadership and educational efficiency.
- Ensure quality, efficiency and good governance of educational and institutional performance, including the delivery of teaching.
- Ensure safe, conducive and challenging learning environments.
- Attract and prepare students to enroll in higher education internally and externally, in light of labor market needs.
- Strengthen the capacity for scientific research and innovation in accordance with the quality, efficiency and transparency standards.
- Provision of quality, efficient and transparent administrative services, in accordance with the quality, efficiency and transparency standards.
- Establish a culture of innovation in an institutional working environment.