"Education is like a lantern which lights your way in a dark alley”
In the words of the founding president of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, "Education is like a lantern which lights your way in a dark alley”. Sheikh Zayed (may his soul rest in peace) led the nation during an era that saw the UAE transform itself from a small cluster of emirates to one of the most modern countries in the world.
In 1987, Sheikh Zayed gave a clear mandate to the chancellor of UAE University, Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, to establish a system of technical institutions to train and develop young UAE nationals in technical specializations. Sheikh Nahayan set the vision for a world-class higher education institution that would be the leading provider of tertiary education in the UAE, would meet the country's need for a large and skilled workforce, and would become the best-in-class institution in the Gulf region. The new, federally funded system was named the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT).
Mass Provider of Technician Training
Since its inception, HCT has responded well to the challenges of dramatic growth by adopting innovations in curriculum design and delivery and by aggressively recruiting faculty from more than 80 countries faculty who are qualified to teach vocational programs whose students have basic levels of academic knowledge and English communication skills. HCT adopts technology to facilitate a flexible learning environment. Delivering courses through blended e-learning platforms has ensured effective utilization of HCT's resources and greatly improved student participation and learning. Close coordination with industry partners has also helped HCT create programs that equip graduates to meet industry needs.
Corporate Sponsored Training Programs
All of HCT's operational costs are fully funded by the UAE federal government through its annual budget plan. Fixed investments such as land, facilities, and major equipment are the responsibility of individual local emirates. The federal government is committed to free tertiary education for all eligible UAE national secondary-school graduates. The UAE corporate sector has been keen to promote education opportunities for its employees. To meet the need for corporate training and consulting, in 1996 HCT established a commercial arm, the Centre of Excellence for Research and Training (CERT).
In its early years, in addition to running short continuing education courses for the community, CERT began to design, develop, and deliver academic programs customized to meet the needs of specific clients, such as the UAE armed forces, municipalities, oil and gas process industries, the aviation industry, and health-care agencies. These sponsored programs led to HCT credentials, including diplomas, higher diplomas, and bachelor's degrees, in specialist areas that were typically not available to general HCT students.
Innovations in Teaching and Learning
From its inception, HCT has had consistent expectations for faculty and student participation in hands-on active learning. Curriculum design and assessment have been based on learning outcomes, and program delivery has always been learner-centered. Applied, hands-on, activity-based teaching and learning have been encouraged and form a basis for recruiting and rewarding faculty members. The "chalk and talk" lecture mode of delivery is strongly discouraged. Small classes (15 to 20 students) contribute to highly interactive and participative learning.
HCT's learning environment and curriculum design help integrate the theoretical and laboratory components of courses: Traditional classrooms are set within labs, giving faculty total flexibility to teach a theoretical concept for a few minutes, then immediately get the students to apply and understand the concept through hands-on experiments in the same room.
Technology is an integral and essential part of teaching and learning in all HCT programs. Most HCT campuses are wireless-enabled, and students are required to purchase high-end laptops before registering. As a result, every learning space is a potential computer lab, and traditional computer labs have been eliminated.
In addition, many learning spaces are equipped with electronic smart boards that enable faculty to display PowerPoint presentations, access Web sites, and write information that the students can then download. Through video conferencing facilities, students and staff are able to connect with experts from around the world. Faculty members are encouraged to put all course notes and course information on a WebCT platform, which students can access through the Internet.
HCT programs, particularly in engineering and allied health, increasingly incorporate field visits and industry-based, cooperative "sandwich" programs. Students alternate semesters in the college and the workplace, taking structured training for credit toward a diploma or degree. Work experience, clinical placements, or on-the-job training are mandatory parts of the programs. Students are given clearly defined goals and learning outcomes that are assessed by both the faculty supervisor and the workplace supervisor.
