# Dubai launches mega campus for global universities



## Bahraini Spirit (Dec 14, 2002)

Hi, well this idea is kinda a rip off of Qatar's Education City, anyways it's still a good initiative and we need more of this stuff,enjoy:










Dubai Knowledge Village (KV) has announced plans to establish Dubai Knowledge Universities, a new mega campus for international universities, as part of a strategy to develop the city into a regional education hub.

The initiative will provide a vibrant educational system for a culturally-diverse academic community to flourish. It will be located in the heart of "Academic City" being developed close to Emirates Road, a spokesman said.

Several international universities from all over world will be based in Dubai Knowledge Universities, providing students from the region access to a wide range of degrees and programmes, all from one location. 

Set amidst an exquisitely landscaped area, the new mega campus will have an ambience that matches the best academic environments in the US, Europe and Australia. It will offer students a campus lifestyle comparable to that offered by the world's leading universities. 

"We seek to create an environment that will make the mega campus a magnet for academic, research and creative vitality," said Dr Abdulla Al Karam, CEO of Dubai Knowledge Village. "It will provide a rich intellectual and social experience for students. The infrastructure is being specially designed to provide creatively stimulating and welcoming spaces for students and teachers to interact formally and informally," he added.

To be developed with an investment of Dh200 million ($54.45 million), the initiative will allow international universities to build their regional campuses as well as establish facilities in pre-built offices. The mega campus will broadly maintain the Andalusian references in KV's present architecture. However, some of the buildings will have a blend of contemporary and traditional influences.

The first components of the mega campus will be complete by July this year enabling four universities to set up their initial operations. The entire infrastructure for Dubai Knowledge Universities will be completed by July 2006. It will offer a total built-up area of 24.8 million sq ft.

Dubai Knowledge Universities will provide a quality of student life and services that is international, culturally diverse and dynamic. The mega campus will have two wings - a west campus for undergraduates and an east campus for graduates. Both campuses will be served by a central core of shared facilities and a comprehensive research and development (R&D) centre. The R&D facility is being established as part of KV's strategy to instill a spirit of innovation and academic inquiry among the student community.

Physically connecting the two wings of Dubai Knowledge Universities will be a student activity zone located along a winding boulevard that will form the spine of the mega campus. The boulevard will be flanked by a Student Centre, a recreation zone and a retail area. The Student Centre will house a Students Union that will provide administrative and student services, and a Visitors' Centre catering to the needs of international universities. It will also accommodate a food and retail area, including bookstores, an office for student organisations and meeting spaces. 

Complementing all this will be a recreation zone offering facilities such as a cinema theatre and a large sports stadium. Dubai Knowledge Universities will also have off-campus residential facilities adjoining it. Both the campus and the off-campus zones will be served by a transportation system.

There will also be facilities such as an auditorium for performing arts, business centres, a health clinic, hotel and conference facilities and a co-operative store.

Dr Al Karam said that Dubai Knowledge Universities is being developed in response to the tremendous interest and academic activity generated by the current KV campus that has 15 international universities. "Universities in KV have grown quickly and substantially since joining KV and many of them are keen to expand their capacity. Encouraged by the overwhelming response from students, these universities also want to offer a wider range of residential programmes as well as dedicated facilities like laboratories, testing units and libraries," he said.

KV, which recently completed the second phase of its development, is currently home to the regional branches of renowned international universities from nine countries: Australia, UK, India, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Belgium, Ireland, and Canada. These universities are among the top ranked learning institutions in their home countries.

"Students are travelling to KV to study from all over the region, from places such as Middle East, North Africa, the Asian Subcontinent, Iran, CIS, China and occasionally Europe and Australia," said Dr Al Karam. "As our student population grows and diversifies it is our duty to introduce more value-added services," he added.

The new initiative will lead to the growth of the KV student community into an even bigger multi-cultural microcosm, where diverse nationalities can interact and build cultural bridges. The number of universities in KV is expected to increase from 15 to about 30 while the transnational student community is set to increase from 6,000 to over 40,000 by 2010. KV's student community consists almost completely of transnational students or students who study in off-campus universities.

Dubai Knowledge Universities will facilitate KV's strategy of promoting linkages between the academic community and the industry. Bolstering this objective is the close proximity of a dedicated Research and Development facility and Dubai Outsource Zone, which will tap industry-academic synergies. Dubai Outsource Zone (DOZ), the first 'free zone' in the world dedicated to the outsourcing industry. DOZ will offer several opportunities for students to gain professional experience. 

"Industry-academic linkages constitute a major driver of talent in the knowledge economy. Dubai Knowledge Universities will enable us to enhance interaction between the industry and the academic community, especially for post-graduate and science and technology programmes," said Dr Al Karam.


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## Qatar4Ever (Feb 3, 2004)

Well to be honest the more universities the better for us all as a region. As long as these universities are geniune educational institutes that really look at developing the education of the locals then good. If they are these stupid rip-off universities that charge you an arm or a leg for a paper that says the word degree and american on it then the hell with them.


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## DUBAI (Aug 24, 2004)

:eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: 

did i read this correctly.....

it cant be!



> The Student Centre will house a Students Union


A Union?

in Dubai!

aside from this, how does it differ from the current knowlege village, which houses among other things, wollongong uni, and BUD? these are the things that they want there aswell?


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## juiced (Aug 18, 2004)

It differs in the way that this will be a "super knowledge village"


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## luv2bebrown (Nov 4, 2004)

DUBAI said:


> :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2:
> 
> did i read this correctly.....
> 
> ...


a student union is simply just a building where students gather to hold meetings, hold social or educational events, house the offices of student organizations, contains restaurants etc. its basically a student "clubhouse"


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## smussuw (Feb 1, 2004)

The differece is that the management was taken from the muncipality and given to the knowledge village. Because this will be located in the existing Academic city.


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## nezzybaby (Jan 14, 2005)

ooh i hope imperial college signs up, its the best and most international uni in England, and im already there. would love a final year in dubai. Though i doubt itll be ready in time seen as im in second year already


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## Bahraini Spirit (Dec 14, 2002)

nezzybaby said:


> ooh i hope imperial college signs up, its the best and most international uni in England, and im already there. would love a final year in dubai. Though i doubt itll be ready in time seen as im in second year already


Nezzy I might bump into you somtime this year or next year. Am doin my masters there in October inshalla, and I fully agree with what you said above.


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## DUBAI (Aug 24, 2004)

luv2bebrown said:


> a student union is simply just a building where students gather to hold meetings, hold social or educational events, house the offices of student organizations, contains restaurants etc. its basically a student "clubhouse"



not nececaraly, that would be described in the term 'student centre', i admit that my uni has a 'union building'. but this shows the sign of allowing students representation, which probably would be nececary if they want these unis to compete, and have the feel of wester universities.


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## luv2bebrown (Nov 4, 2004)

^
that would be amazing if thats the case


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## Chad (Oct 10, 2002)

damn!! I'm wondering what Dubai cant have.


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## juiced (Aug 18, 2004)

Freedom of speech?


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## Bahraini Spirit (Dec 14, 2002)

Heriot-Watt University, the acclaimed Scottish university established as a school for engineers under the Royal Charter, is to open a branch campus in Dubai Knowledge University (KV), Dubai 

Knowledge Village's newly announced mega campus for international universities will provide engineering and technology degrees and qualifications. 

The new courses in engineering and technology will usher in a new phase of educational diversity at KV.

Heriot-Watt University is among the top five universities in Scotland, according to the 2005 Sunday Times league table, and has a strong reputation for excellence in the fields of education and technology. This is backed by its foundation by champions of technology, education and commerce; George Heriot, financier to King James IV and James Watt, the pioneer of steam power.

"As Dubai Knowledge Universities grows, we are looking for diversity of education. Universities that set up at Dubai Knowledge Universities should offer the most diverse programmes and degree courses, as well as different origins. As a result of this, we are pleased to welcome Heriot-Watt University," said Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, CEO of Dubai Knowledge Village. 

The programmes will be delivered by a mixture of residential lecturers based in Dubai, and visiting lecturers from the University's Scottish campuses.

Heriot-Watt is likely to produce a further range of courses, including undergraduate and postgraduate courses relating to the hydrocarbon and energy industries, engineering, construction, actuarial science and design, will follow in the next two to three years.


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## Raza (Feb 5, 2005)

the gulf so far has terrible univirsities, they look all good and big from outside, but the education level is very low.


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## nezzybaby (Jan 14, 2005)

Bahraini spirit, if you head to the union on tuesday nights im normally there juggling. if you go when its not raining, there'll be lots of fire.. juggling soc rocks!

Im the guy with the diabolos if your trying to spot me


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## Bahraini Spirit (Dec 14, 2002)

Cool, well when am there in October, I'll look out for the juggler in the union and shout nezzybaby hehehe. Am just finalizing my registeration now, mailing the papers today. Only thing left is lookin for accommodation or actually not that, just chosin one (so much easier to do it here in my uni, but it's not london so that's the difference ).


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## Bahraini Spirit (Dec 14, 2002)

Raza said:


> the gulf so far has terrible univirsities, they look all good and big from outside, but the education level is very low.


Actually I'd have to disagree with you, that's not entirely correct, there are some excellent universities in the gulf like King Fahed University formerly known as University of Petroleum and Metals (Il betrool wil m3den) and Arabian Gulf University (Medical School) in Bahrain. There are many others in the gulf and more quality ones are comin, you just need to know where to go. Btw, Saudi Arabia has some excellent unis, so don't be surprised by that.


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