The QS World University Rankings, which specialize in rating educational research, recently announced their rankings of international universities for 2014. The United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) achieved a place among the top 400 universities worldwide, and in doing so became the first university in the country to join such elite company.

Gaining such international recognition is a great leap forward, especially as QS adopts very strict criteria in its assessment of universities. The aim of these rankings is to recognize excellence in higher education institutions. It is considered one of the most significant of international rankings as it assesses criteria such as the institutions academic reputation, its reputation among recruitment companies, the institution’s research profile, the student/ teacher ratio and the respective institutions’ comparative attraction to top professors and foreign students.

The ranking is based on a survey of more than three thousand universities worldwide and the views of more than fifty thousand academics and business leaders, as well as other research indicators.

UAEU strives to maintain and improve its position amongst the top universities in international rankings as this is impartial evidence of the excellent standards to be found at the university. This approach can be attributed to the unwavering support of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE; and the enthusiasm of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai; as well as the constant support of His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Receiving this high ranking is a major achievement for UAEU and a true reflection of the vision of His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Chancellor of UAEU.

The performance of UAEU has developed significantly in recent years. This has resulted in achieving high rankings both internationally and amongst Arabic speaking countries in a variety of key indicators of success in higher education. UAEU has not only performed outstandingly but has gained international academic accreditation for many colleges and programs as well.

UAEU can take pride in this distinction while striving to redouble its efforts towards continuous improvement in order to prepare UAE, and other, citizens to join the labor force. Such achievements have a positive impact in terms of increasing motivation and the enthusiasm to move towards even greater achievements.