Under the chairmanship of Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna BintKhalid Al Qasimi, Minister of State for Tolerance, President of Zayed University, the Zayed University Council held its third meeting for 2016 at the Abu Dhabi campus, with the participation of the Council members, His Excellency Ahmad Bin Byat, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding, Deputy Chair of the ZU Council, His Excellency Sami Dhaen Al Qamzi, Director-General at the Department of Economic Development in Dubai, His Excellency Mubarak Saeed AlShamsi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Center for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Her Excellency Mariam Mohammed Al Rumaithi, Director General of the Foundation of Family Development, Professor Reyadh AlMehaideb, Vice President of ZU, and Amal Al Mausam, University Council Secretary.
H.E Sheikha Lubna welcomed members of the Council, who are well known for their experience from various sectors in the UAE, and thanked them for their effective role in the development of University academically and administratively empowering it to take a leadership role regionally in higher education.At the outset of the meeting, Council members have discussed the Endowment Fund at Zayed University and endowed professorships, which reached 11 currently and play a vital role in providing a professional education environment that encourages innovation and creativity and improves scientific research.The Council then reviewed ZU developments, which focused on renewing academic accreditations for some of the colleges, implementing the UAE Cabinet decision on integrating key performance indicators in funding public universities, attracting Emirati and international students through procedures and programs, and reviewing the most significant accomplishments for students and university activities.
The Council then reviewed the expansion project of Zayed University in Dubai campus and consensus of major initiatives at ZU and human resources key performance indicators for 2017-2021 with the directives of UAE Government in improving the efficiency of federal universities in the areas of finance, information technology, and human resources. The Council also approved changing the name of “Office of Accessibility” to “Accessibility Management”, which offers administrative and academic services and social facilities to help students with special needs in their studies as well as extracurricular activities.The Council then approved the final accounts of ZU for 2015 and number of academic recommendations including: reconstructing the College of Sustainability Sciences and Humanities.
The College of Sustainability Sciences and Humanities will be divided into two colleges: The College of Health and Natural Sciences, which includes programs in nutrition and public health, sustainability and environment sciences, psychology and human services, and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, which includes programs in international studies and Emirati studies. The Institute for Arabic Language and the Institute for Islamic World Studies will also be integrated in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Following the ZU Council meeting, Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimiinaugurated the Student Counselling Center at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi campus, which aims to provide support, self-development guidance, and healthcare services for university students.The inauguration ceremony came in the presence of their Excellencies, members of ZU Council, Professor Reyadh AlMehaideb, Vice President of Zayed University, and other administrative and teaching bodies. Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna made a tour at the center, which supports and assists students by providing a broad range of psychological, counseling and educational services to deal with personal, interpersonal, and academic issues in order to create a healthy environment that fosters student growth, development, and psychological well-being.Dr Fatima Al Darmaki, Assistant Provost for Student Affairs, said: “The center provides psychological counseling services and information to help students overcoming problems and resolving crises in line with the highest global standards and best practices applied in this field.”
About Zayed University
Zayed University is today the premier national university in the United Arab Emirates and a regional leader in educational innovation and change. It has created and implemented a skills-rich, outcome-based general education program that systemically develops student skills, knowledge, and values associated with liberal learning and provided a solid foundation for pursuit of disciplinary majors and future careers. Zayed University welcomes national and international students, and provides them with a high quality education, offered by seasoned teaching scholars to prepare them to shape the future of the United Arab Emirates.Zayed University offers Undergraduate and Graduate degrees in the following Colleges: College of Arts & Creative Enterprises (recognized as substantially equivalent by NASAD), College of Business (Accredited by AACSB), College of Communication & Media Sciences (Accredited by ACEJMC), College of Education (Accredited by NCATE), College of Sustainability Sciences & Humanities, and College of Technological Innovation (Accredited by ABET). For more information, visit www.zu.ac.ae