UAE minister urges universities to update education due to AI — The National

In Abu Dhabi, Acting UAE Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Abdulrahman Al Awar said that universities should review their curricula and teaching methods to keep pace with the development of artificial intelligence and rapid changes in the labor market. He also called for stronger cooperation between higher education institutions and businesses.

As The National reports, Al Awar spoke at the Partnerships for the Future event, organized by the Zayed Education Foundation. At the event, 12 institutions joined forces to strengthen cooperation and expand opportunities for local scholarship recipients.

Skills for the new labor market

According to the minister, new technologies, including AI, are creating new opportunities while also changing the skills employers need. He stressed the need to update curricula and develop the competencies of teachers and students.

The ministry’s outcomes-based evaluation framework is intended to encourage universities to meet these requirements and improve the competitiveness of the higher education sector. An updated guide to the framework was published this year following consultations with 735 representatives of higher education institutions across the country.

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Al Awar also said that the UAE’s vision for higher education involves creating a system ready for future challenges, globally competitive and connected to the needs of students, the economy and society.

Scholarship recipients’ position

Ruwwad Zayed scholarship recipient Noor Odeh, who studies computational data science at Khalifa University, believes that higher education should focus more on practical experience and skills rather than only on grades and performance indicators.

Another scholarship recipient, Jassem Alkhouri, who studies digital transformation at Zayed University, said that the education system should be more flexible and take technological development into account. In his view, students should learn more about using AI tools for research.

The Zayed Education Foundation plans to create opportunities for 100,000 students by 2035. The foundation recently announced the first group of 50 Ruwwad Zayed scholarship recipients — Emirati and Arab students who will pursue master’s degrees at UAE universities.