The United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) has been named among the top five universities in the Arab world in a leading assessment of the region’s institutes of higher education.

The Al Ain-based university secured fifth place in the 2018 edition of the QS Arab Region University Rankings, published today, a rise of one place from last year’s standings. It is the highest-ranked university in the United Arab Emirates in the study, the most widely-read and respected of its kind.

The rankings – produced by global education analysts QS Quacquarelli Symonds – assessed almost 150 universities across the Arab region on a range of criteria, including academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-to-student ratio, and number of international faculty and students. The UAEU’s elevation in this study follows its recent success in the QS World University Rankings 2018, where it was ranked as the UAE’s best university and among the top 1.5 percent globally.

Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuami, the Chancellor of the UAEU, welcomed today’s announcement, saying: “While the true mark of accomplishment for our institution is the caliber of the graduates we produce and the quality and impact of the research we generate, it is a source of great pride to see our efforts to become a truly world-class university recognized by such a well-respected higher education survey.

“Every milestone we reach, and every success we experience, is always cause for celebration, but it is also a platform for us to strive to attain further improvement. This ethos is reflected in the fact that the UAEU has increased its standing in both the global and regional QS University Rankings in 2018, the result of the magnificent collective efforts of our students, faculty, researchers, and staff. Through these efforts, the UAEU’s stature as a center of academic and research excellence continues to be elevated, across our region and across the world.”

Established in 1976, making it the oldest university in the UAE and a flagship academic institution for the nation, the UAEU is currently home to almost 14,000 students and more than 800 faculty, including more than 630 international faculty. It offers a wide spectrum of accredited, high-quality graduate and undergraduate programs through nine colleges based at its state-of-the-art Al Ain campus, and collaborates with industry partners to drive the discovery of research-based solutions to national, regional, and global challenges.

“The quality of higher education across the Arab world means that to be ranked in the top five places in such a prestigious study as the QS Arab Region University Rankings places the UAEU among illustrious academic company,” said Professor Mohamed Albaili, the Vice Chancellor of the UAEU.

“Our high ranking is testament to the holistic way in which we prepare our students to develop the knowledge, skills, critical thinking, and insight that equips them to become future leaders; our focus on nurturing the innovation and creativity that is essential to sustainable development; and our commitment to research excellence and impact. We are an institution with a national heart and a global mind, and we believe this will lead us to reach even greater levels of achievement and contribution.”

In addition to its success in the QS Arab Region University Rankings 2018, the UAEU has also, for the first time, achieved a position in the Times Higher Education Engineering & Technology and Computer Science subject rankings, the 2018 edition of which has also been published today. The university was ranked in the 401-500 band among universities worldwide for the quality of its Engineering and Technology education. 

The UAEU’s College of Engineering, inaugurated in 1980, offers seven Bachelor degrees, 10 Master’s degrees, and one interdisciplinary Master’s degree, as well as Ph.D studies, and provides world-class laboratories and facilities for students and industry-standard engineering software. Bachelor degree students conduct their internship training at more than 200 companies and organizations within the UAE and internationally.

Established in 2001, the College of Information Technology is the UAEU’s youngest College, but has already earned a strong reputation for the caliber of its research and teaching. Its programs offer both academic insight and real-world experience in seven areas of specialization, including Intelligent Systems, Software Development, Information Security, E-Commerce, Networking, Enterprise Systems, and Computer System Design.