Forbes Middle East celebrates region's Best Higher Education Institutes

• The region’s best institutes were awarded for their exceptional facilities, student support initiatives and learning programs.
• 18 of the winning institutes are from the UAE.
• 3 of the winning institutes are from Saudi Arabia.
• 4 of the winning institutes are from Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon and Bahrain.
• “The educational landscape is shifting both regionally and internationally,” says Mohammad Abdullah, chairman of the board for Dubai Knowledge Park.

Forbes Middle East has brought together representatives from the region’s largest and most successful universities, academies and business schools for an exclusive celebration and networking event exploring the higher education sector.

The Higher Education Awards 2019 applauded the courses, campuses, teachers and student support initiatives that are making this region a hub for global education and shaping the skills and minds of a new tech-savvy and highly-informed generation of young entrepreneurs.

Chief guest, Mohammad Abdullah, managing director for Dubai Knowledge Park and Dubai International Academic City, addressed the crowd.

“The educational landscape is shifting both regionally and internationally,” said Abdullah. “As many of our economies move away from oil, education continues to be a key driver for economic growth, sustainability and innovation. No matter what economic goals have been set, the answer and solution will always inevitably come back to education.”

He went on to address the challenges currently being faced by universities and other higher education institutes, saying “It has become increasingly important for us as a region to work together to upscale tertiary education. Instead of universities competing against one another, stakeholders within the educational sector should share the common goal of promoting the region into an internationally recognized education hub.”

He then listed some potential solutions, including: promoting modern skill-sets to prepare students for the local and global job market; encouraging more entrepreneurship and innovation; tackling the gap between market needs in terms of capacity and skills; and tailoring educational offerings to localized and regional economic needs.

The evening also hosted a lively panel discussion debating the future of education. Moderated by Mansoor Ahmed, director of development solutions at Colliers International, the panel discussed how systems and delivery need to evolve to produce adults with the right skills for the future workplace. Professor Hossam Hamdy, chancellor of the Gulf Medical University, Kamal Puri, chairman of Skyline University, Randa Bessiso, director for the Middle East at the University of Manchester, and Dr Atul Chauhan, chancellor of Amity University, agreed that technology is changing the way young people learn. Today’s students no longer need to be given information—they need to be taught how to judge and use it. 

Several prestigious awards were handed out to the institutes having a particularly important impact through their work. Many of the teams from these leading educators attended and participated in the event. These included:

• The University of Manchester, which won Best MBA Program.
• The American University of the Middle East, which won Best Engineering Program.
• Skyline University College, which won Best Business School.
• Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University, which won Outstanding Learning Philosophy.
• Abu Dhabi School of Management, which won for Innovation in Teaching and Learning.
• Amity University, which won Best Campus.
• IMT Business School, which won Best Internship Placement.
• Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Dubai Campus, which won for Outstanding Support for Students.
• Middlesex University Dubai, which won Best Media Center.
• Gulf Medical University, which won Best Medical Education University.
• Navitas, which won Outstanding Support to Government Sponsored Students
• Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School, which won Best Hospitality & Tourism Program.
• Luminus Technical University College, which won Best Use of Big Data.
• Heriot-Watt University, which won Best University.
• The University of Bradford, which won Technological Innovation of the Year.

A special award was also handed to Al Jeri Group Holding, for the significant influence the group is having on the schooling system in Kuwait.

The event was delivered in partnership with the Thumbay Group, Humansoft, Middlesex University Dubai, Colliers International, the Centena Group and Reporters Media Production.

You can find the full list online here: https://forbesmiddleeast.com/the-middle-easts-best-institutes-for-higher-education 

About Forbes Middle East
Forbes Middle East is a licensee of Forbes Media and extends the Forbes brand of journalism across the Arab world. Forbes Middle East's distinctive editorial style attracts a readership of Arab leaders, entrepreneurs, C-level executives, government officials and investors united by a belief in the spirit of free enterprise and entrepreneurial values. 

Across the region, Forbes Middle East uncovers trends and opportunities in the local market. Each monthly issue brings top executives the information critical to their success in both Arabic and English language editions. The magazine researches and publishes original rankings, based on methodologies set by Forbes Media.

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© Press Release 2019