The practical secondment program provides renewed opportunities for cadres in universities

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research confirmed that the practical secondment program, which came within the work of the partnership group between the economic sectors in the labor market and higher education institutions emanating from the Advisory Committee for Higher Education and Future Skills, constitutes renewed opportunities for academic cadres in universities.

The Ministry reported that it held two specialized workshops; To introduce universities to the practical secondment program for academic staff in economic sectors, as part of the work of the partnership working group between economic sectors in the labor market and higher education institutions, emanating from the Advisory Committee for Higher Education and Future Skills.

These workshops come within the framework of the Ministry’s efforts to strengthen the link between higher education institutions and economic sectors, as the program focuses on dedicating full-time teaching and academic staff members to higher education institutions, to enable them to gain direct practical experiences, which contribute to the development of their educational programs in keeping with the aspirations of officials in the economic sectors, and enhances students’ readiness for the requirements of the labor market and the future.

The practical secondment program for academic staff is an innovative national model that allows faculty members to work for specific periods of time within companies and institutions of priority economic sectors, enabling them to gain direct practical experience that contributes to developing their teaching skills in a way that meets the needs of those companies, and provides students with the skills required for the actual work environment.

This model contributes to building a sustainable mechanism for the regular updating of curricula in higher education institutions, based on the applied experiences that academics gain during the loan period, and in keeping with the rapid developments in the technologies and skills required in the economic sectors.

The first workshop was held in Abu Dhabi, headed by Dr. Faisal Al-Ayyan, Director of the Higher Colleges of Technology Complex and Head of the Partnership Working Group between the Economic Sectors in the Labor Market and Higher Education Institutions. The second workshop was held in Dubai, headed by Dr. Khaled Askar, Director of the Innovation and Scientific Research Department at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

The two workshops witnessed great interaction and wide participation, as they were attended by more than 180 representatives of 22 higher education institutions, including university leaders, faculty members, and representatives of various departments.

The workshop program included an introduction to the loan program model for faculty members, and the steps for implementing it at the national level. The workshops also discussed the needs of universities, and noted their observations on the design of the program and its implementation mechanisms, within the framework of a participatory approach that allows for the gradual expansion of the program. To attract more higher education institutions and the private sector, to serve the priority sectors in the country.

Additional workshops are scheduled to be organized during the next phase, dedicated to industrial sectors. With the aim of completing the phase of introducing the program and receiving comments, the program, upon its launch, will contribute to developing research and development programs and enhancing their practical applications, in addition to providing more high-quality training and employment opportunities for students upon graduation, and enabling faculty members to gain insights that can be integrated into curricula and teaching methods, thus preparing students to deal with realistic challenges and acquire the practical skills necessary for future employment.

These efforts come within an integrated path led by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, with the aim of enhancing alignment between academic tracks, the needs of economic sectors, and the requirements of the labor market, by focusing on developing human capital, in line with the objectives of the “We Are the Emirates 2031” vision and the UAE Centennial 2071.