iWIL About Page
Vision
 | "Cultivate work-integrated learning values within the current educational strategy of the UAEU, to render work experience a structured part of the curriculum." |
Mission
Internship is a structured educational strategy whose core is work-integrated learning in a field related to student's academic or career goals. Its partnership between the employer, the student and the university; with each specified responsibilities and distinct goals. The mission of internship program is to achieve the following twofold:
-
Provide UAEU students with work-integrated learning that have significant impact on their professional Lives.
-
Position UAEU in a national and international leadership standing within the work-Integrated Learning arena.
Aims
- Reform and Institutionalize Present Internship Programs.
- Build strong partnerships to support sustainable, effective learning systems.
- Promote selective Coop Degree programs.
- Enhance student learning through academically approved work experiences.
- Develop faculty support for the integration of learning and work.
Background
Forces of globalization and the rapid development of knowledge-based economies and knowledge societies demand that states and societies be more competitive in the global marketplace. Due to these temporary forces the burdens on institution of higher learning have become increasingly complex. A major concern is how to train future graduates to face challenges that are yet unknown? In this respect, the demands, expectations, and opportunities are significant, diverse and, on occasions, conflicting. Because the forefront of the knowledge wave, whose make-up is continually evolving, resides within the other provider institutions be it market or government, integrating work-based learning into the higher education curricula is no longer optional.
Not long ago, academic and market institutions were at ease with the role each was playing well. University educates and the market employs. Employing institutions had sufficient time to prepare graduates to become productive workforce, in other words to close the "knowing-doing gap". Much academic learning can be stimulated and enhanced if it has a "real life" component. Recent experiments with project-based and theme-related curricula illustrate the power of education that activates the multiple intelligences of the learner; an objective that can likewise be attained from well perceived on-the-job learning.
The Internship and Work-Integrated Learning (iWIL) Center at the United Arab Emirates University is an organization whose mission is to provide students with work-integrated learning experiences that significantly impact their careers, in partnership with national and international employers. Our role is to facilitate an enhanced form of education where employers can share in the educational process. We work very closely with the academic units on campus to provide these opportunities for the students of the UAE University. At iWIL, we solicit corporate partnerships, liaise with employers, perform outcome assessment, advance innovative iWIL initiatives and manage accreditation. Academic credit and student evaluation of all iWIL programs remain solely the responsibility of academic departments.
Thank you for visiting the iWIL About Page.
Vision | Mission | Aims | Background | Staff Directory
Share