LEARNING EXPERIENCES
Ras Al Khaimah's education landscape has expanded to keep up with demand, while a robust higher education sector is attracting key investment.
Ras Al Khaimah's education system is in many ways similar to the rest of the UAE. Though Western-style education did not arrive until the mid-20th century, years of heavy investment has given the UAE robust primary and secondary systems. The high rates of international residents have influenced the Emirates' school systems; today, a wide range of private international schools are closely linked with international partners. With a strong base of primary education already in place, Ras Al Khaimah is focusing on improving teacher quality and the improvement and construction of higher education institutions in order to ensure that the Emirate's citizens have the skills needed to succeed in the global economy.
Education in the UAE is compulsory between the ages of six and 12 and overseen by the Ministry of Education. Arabic-language public schools are gender segregated and free for UAE citizens; foreign residents are also able to enroll for nominal fees. The international nature of the UAE is reflected in the extensive system of private schools offering instruction in a number of other countries' educational tradition. As of 2017, Ras Al Khaimah had 15 private schools, following curriculums from the UK, India, and the US, among others. Ras Al Khaimah has a slightly higher proportion of students in public schools than Dubai and Abu Dhabi; as of 2015, just under 90% of Emirati students were in public schools. Education is split into four tiers that cover 14 years, with kindergarten, six years of primary school, then two three-year cycles of preparatory and secondary school.
Like primary and secondary school, higher education in the UAE reflects the influence of both Arab and Western culture. The sector has seen significant growth over the past few decades as demand has increased; the number of accredited institutions of higher education has increased from five in 1990 to 73 as of 2017. There are three main federal universities, a network of semi-public institutions with varying levels of state ownership and oversight, and fully private universities. Ras Al Khaimah is home to three federally accredited institutions: the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK), the Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, and a campus of the Higher College of Technology, the UAE's largest federal university. The Emirate's university population has approximately a 3:1 ratio of women to men, in line with the rest of the UAE. The Ministry of Education's focus for state-run schools has been on improving teacher quality and increasing student access to research and technology by investing almost USD2 billion in education. The government's Education 2020 plan calls for partnerships with Western educational systems and a move toward greater focus on modernization and critical thinking skills.
Another feature of Ras Al Khaimah's higher education system is the RAK Academic Free Zone, a geographic cluster specially designed to host branches of foreign universities. At present, there are more than 1,500 students in RAK Academic Zone's partnership institutions, which include the University of Bolton and University of West London, UK, Swiss Business School, and Sarhad University of Science & Information Technology, Pakistan, citing the region's growth and significance in the international market as its reason for reaching out to the Emirate. The free zone has become one of Ras Al Khaimah's biggest draws for international students, who can take advantages of the partnerships and economies of scale that come with the cluster of schools. Ras Al Khaimah has also been aggressive in ensuring that the branch campuses of foreign universities located in the free zone meet international standards for quality and accreditation. In early 2016 RAK Academic Zone announced to all higher education institutions operating in the free zone that they would be tightening regulations in the free zone to ensure that educational institutions accurately represent themselves and are accredited by their home countries. Should this be implemented successfully, it will even the playing field across the Emirate, with higher education institutions located outside of the zone having previously developed the standards now required for RAK Academic Zone. By increasing quality, Ras Al Khaimah hopes to turn itself into a hub for research and higher education in the UAE.
LEARNING EXPERIENCES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Interview
ndrea Di Gregorio, , Director of Energy Efficiency and Renewables , RAK Municipality Department
TBY talks to Andrea Di Gregorio, Director of Energy Efficiency and Renewables of the RAK Municipality Department, on the Emirate's overall strategy, specific programs, and early supporters of energy efficiency and renewables.
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Abdulrhman Al Shayeb Al Naqbi, Director General, Ras Al Khaimah Department of Economic Development (RAK DED)
TBY talks to Abdulrhman Al Shayeb Al Naqbi, Director General of the Ras Al Khaimah Department of Economic Development (RAK DED), on improving the ease of doing business, key diversification pillars, and the impact of new VAT.
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Sheikh Ahmed bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman, Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ)
TBY talks to Sheikh Ahmed bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), on offering investors a global platform, creating a one-stop shop, and the strategic comparative advantages of access to the Indian Ocean.
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Manu Mehra, CFO, RAK Investment & Development Office (RAK IDO)
TBY talks to Manu Mehra, CFO of the RAK Investment & Development Office (RAK IDO), on the role of free zones in diversification, the benefits of smart state intervention, and the keys most needed for a strong manufacturing sector.
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Yousef Esmaeel, Chairman, Supreme Committee of Saud Bin Saqr Establishment for Youth Enterprises Development (RAK SME)
TBY talks to Yousef Esmaeel, Chairman of the Supreme Committee of Saud Bin Saqr Establishment for Youth Enterprises Development (RAK SME), on incentivizing young people, working with local government to encourage entrepreneurialism, and the role of SMEs in the UAE marketplace.
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Abdullah Al Abdooli, Managing Director, Al Marjan Island
TBY talks to Abdullah Al Abdooli, Managing Director of Al Marjan Island, on the continuous growth of the real estate market in RAK, its robust investment landscape, and the Emirate's ambitious plans to develop its tourism sector.
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Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, President , American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK)
TBY talks to Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, President of the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK), on the consequences of growing global demand for education and AURAK's efforts to attract students from beyond the Emirate.
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Gurumadhva Rao, Vice Chancellor, RAK Medical & Health Sciences University (RAKMHSU)
TBY talks to S. Gurumadhva Rao, Vice Chancellor of the RAK Medical & Health Sciences University (RAKMHSU), on the further development of higher education, its key differentiators, and the need for qualified doctors.
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Taner Topcu, Director, Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone’s (RAKEZ) Academic Zone
Taner Topcu holds a bachelor's degree in Public Administration from Anadolu University in Turkey. He is an industry expert with more than 20 years of successful experience in education, hospitality, business development, and customer relations. Prior to joining RAKEZ in 2015, Taner worked at TECOM Investment's Education Cluster in Dubai Knowledge Village and Dubai International Academic City, where he worked in operations, business development, and account management. He also worked at Aabar Investments in Abu Dhabi as a Business Development Manager and at Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority as a Director of Engagement Operations.
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