next »

[nomadescientist]

Dear all,

As some of you have heard/read the UAE University is aiming at becoming one of the top 100 research-oriented universities in the world within the next 5 years. As this is quite a very ambitious target, and probably the only serious attempt from a local university that I know, I would like please to know your opinion about its possibility, necessary steps, previous experiences, etc, taking into accounts all the special characteristics of the region.

Thank you very much.

NS

[madhatter]

That's a pretty unambitious goal. Why not strive to make the Millennial List?

[nomadescientist]

I was almost serious when I wrote "serious":

1) Recruited the former University of California provost Dr. Rory Hume
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/18381

2) Point (1) or the so-called "Hume effect" has immediately put them in the top-500 in the world
http://www.topuniversities.com/schools/data/school_profile/default/unitedarabemiratesuniversity/?from_search=true

Any other thoughts?

Thanks.

[csguy]

Dear all,

As some of you have heard/read the UAE University is aiming at becoming one of the top 100 research-oriented universities in the world within the next 5 years. As this is quite a very ambitious target, and probably the only serious attempt from a local university that I know, I would like please to know your opinion about its possibility, necessary steps, previous experiences, etc, taking into accounts all the special characteristics of the region.

Can they afford to buy one of the existing top 100? 

It's probably not possible, not in five years.

[alliterativerevival]

I think they should sponsor a rankings system that would--while simultaneously conveying the absolute, objective, diamond-hard science upon which all rankings rest--put them comfortably in the top 5.

[csguy]

I think they should sponsor a rankings system that would--while simultaneously conveying the absolute, objective, diamond-hard science upon which all rankings rest--put them comfortably in the top 5.

Perhaps they could buy an existing one.

[nomadescientist]

Hi,

After almost one year from the start of this project, I thought I should give you a quick update about the current situation.

1. The key step of recruiting internationally renown professors/faculty in strategic research fields, as part of the "cluster hiring" initiative, has not been materialize so far. This could be due to the absence of suitable funds or/and the failure in finding and attracting people of the required caliber to join UAEU. Note that these positions are expected to be contract-based and not permanent.

2. The recruitment of new Deans is quite slow. So far, only the Dean of the IT College has been changed. Some concerns have already emerged from the difference in backgrounds between the new Dean (electrical engineering) and the majority of the IT faculty. The other colleges, such as the colleges of medicine and science, are still eagerly in need for new, dynamic and world-class Deans to stir them out of their currently poor positions.

3. The process of promotion to the Professor rank this academic year seems to become more rigorous as fewer could achieve it. This is of course a positive point as long as the expectations from faculty are proportional to the resources made available to them.

4. The appointment of a Dean of the University College. She is the former president of Oberlin College in U.S. Her achievements were outstanding during her assignment there, but, it is noted that she didn't get on well with faculty and students eventually, and has subsequently resigned from her position: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Dye Also, she had a very brief and not well-documented spell at a Bangladeshi university. It is still not clear how this assignment is in line with the new research objectives of UAEU.

5. The objection and revolt of the UAE nationals faculty members against the proposal by the Provost to treat them equally with expatriates in term of recruitment, employment package, and evaluation. This proposal seems to be withdrawn now from the initially proposed plan. This is regarded by many as a big setback for the project.

Any other thoughts?

Thanks,
NS

[sciencephd]

Based on this description, the whole thing sounds more like a fantasy than a reality.  Is that the point that you are trying to make ?

[jackit]

Not with oil at $50 a barrel (or whatever it is -- it's not the $80-100 they were probably counting on).

[nomadescientist]

Based on this description, the whole thing sounds more like a fantasy than a reality.  Is that the point that you are trying to make ?

I have tried to objectively report on the progress achieved over the last academic year. The changes made and the pressure on colleges and faculty are REAL. Now, is UAEU currently on track to reach its stated target? In my opinion, the answer is Not Yet at best, pending mainly on point 1 from my previous message.

[nomadescientist]

Not with oil at $50 a barrel (or whatever it is -- it's not the $80-100 they were probably counting on).

Agree. This is also a very important factor if not the main one.

[nomadescientist]

I think they should sponsor a rankings system that would--while simultaneously conveying the absolute, objective, diamond-hard science upon which all rankings rest--put them comfortably in the top 5.

Perhaps they could buy an existing one.

I don't think that would work or is practically possible. The idea is to have a world-class research oriented university on UAE's soil and catering for the local national students.

[daniel_von_flanagan]

Out of curiosity, how many Jewish professors have they managed to recruit so far? - DvF

[csguy]

I think they should sponsor a rankings system that would--while simultaneously conveying the absolute, objective, diamond-hard science upon which all rankings rest--put them comfortably in the top 5.

Perhaps they could buy an existing one.

I don't think that would work or is practically possible. The idea is to have a world-class research oriented university on UAE's soil and catering for the local national students.

I was joking.

That said -- I don't think most US world class research oriented universities much care about local students particularly at the graduate level.

I also suggest that if they seriously want world class research types they should at least offer tenure up front (not that that is likely to get them to stay).

[untenured]

To answer the question: No.

Untenured