United Arab Emirates U. May Cut Jobs to Spend More on Research

United Arab Emirates University, which announced plans last year to offer Ph.D. programs as part of its effort to become a leading international research institution, is considering eliminating about 200 staff jobs so it can put more money into research, according to The National, an English-language newspaper in Abu Dhabi. The university is determined to improve its research output, the provost, Wyatt (Rory) Hume, said, and with government support expected to shrink or remain constant next year, the institution is looking to cut expenses in other areas. “People haven’t been laid off,” said Mr. Hume, a former provost of the University of California system, “but we’re planning for the possibility of reductions at about the 7-percent level.”