The UAE government issues a federal decree law regarding higher education and scientific research
Abu Dhabi, 30 December / WAM / The UAE government issued a federal decree law regarding higher education and scientific research, with the aim of establishing a comprehensive federal legislative framework that regulates the higher education and scientific research sector, enhances effective governance and management of higher education institutions and technical and vocational education and training institutions, and improves the quality and competitiveness of higher education in order to achieve a link between the outcomes of the educational system and the requirements of the labor market in the future, and supports the lifelong learning journey of all graduates.
The decree-law applies to all higher education institutions in the country, and to technical and vocational education and training institutions that offer accredited vocational programs at a level higher than the high school diploma and its equivalent in accordance with the National Qualifications Framework. The decree-law emphasizes the integration of the higher education system with general education within a sustainable future vision, defines the stages of the higher education system in accordance with the levels of the National Qualifications Framework, and obliges institutions to develop study programs characterized by innovation, flexibility, and proactiveness in keeping pace with technical and scientific developments and meeting the needs of the labor market.
Pursuant to this Decree Law, unified national frameworks for regulating higher education and scientific research shall be issued by a decision of the Council of Ministers after the approval of the Education, Human Development and Community Council, in view of the importance of these frameworks of reference that contribute to raising the quality and competitiveness of higher education, and they include: the national framework for licensing higher education institutions, which includes the standards and conditions required to obtain institutional licensing, and the national qualifications framework, which represents the national reference for structuring qualifications in the country and the levels that are graduated according to the nature and complexity of knowledge, skills, and responsibilities.
This is in addition to the national framework for classification, quality of performance, and oversight of higher education institutions, which includes approved indicators and targets for measuring the performance of higher education institutions, classifying them, and monitoring their compliance, the national framework for scientific research, which includes the priorities, policies, and standards that regulate scientific research in higher education institutions, and the national framework for technical and vocational education and training, which includes the conditions and standards required to obtain institutional accreditation to offer accredited professional programs.
The decree law allows local authorities responsible for higher education and technical and vocational education and training to issue local regulatory frameworks that do not conflict with the requirements of approved national frameworks and that include the standards and requirements required at the federal level.
The decree law sets clear rules for licensing higher education institutions, and prohibits the establishment or operation of any institution, or the provision of higher education programs and services, or the promotion or advertising of its programs and services, except after obtaining an institutional license from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in accordance with the approved terms and requirements, including submitting an application from the owner of the institution that includes basic information about the institution’s management, location, colleges that will include it, and the programs that it will offer, and providing financial guarantees that guarantee the institution’s ability to fulfill its financial obligations, in addition to fulfilling the required permits from the competent local authorities. And the requirements related to the location of the higher education institution, its building, its facilities, its suitability for practicing the educational process, and meeting health, security and safety conditions.
It also regulates the validity period of the institutional license, its renewal, additional deadlines, and procedures resulting from non-compliance, and specifies the controls for waiving and canceling the institutional license in the prescribed cases, taking into account taking the necessary measures to address the students’ conditions.
The Decree-Law also regulates programmatic accreditation, prohibiting higher education institutions from offering, promoting, advertising, accepting students, or starting studies in any academic program before obtaining programmatic accreditation from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. It specifies the validity period of programmatic accreditation and evaluation and renewal procedures, and allows academic programs that have obtained international accreditation to be accredited without the need to repeat programmatic accreditation procedures or pay additional fees, provided that the higher education institution has an institutional license, and that the international accreditation body is reliable and accredited by the Ministry and that The standards of the international accreditation body are not less than the national accreditation standards.
The decree law also supports the system of recognition of academic and professional qualifications inside and outside the country, which contributes to ensuring the quality of educational outcomes, protecting the academic and professional path of students, and enhancing societal confidence in the national higher education system.
According to the decree law, all licensed higher education institutions in the country are subject to periodic classification and evaluation processes by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in accordance with the approved national frameworks. The Ministry publishes the results of the classification of higher education institutions and makes them available after the approval of the Education, Human Development and Society Council and their approval by the Council of Ministers.
The decree law establishes clear obligations for higher education institutions, including obtaining prior approvals from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the competent local authority if the institution has a permit from them, before implementing any fundamental changes that it intends to implement, or when adding any new academic units such as colleges, institutes, and centers, or closing any existing academic unit or making any fundamental amendments to its academic programs, as well as the obligation to provide the required data, documents, and records, and to enable auditing and oversight work from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research or the competent local authority, and the obligation By controlling advertising, publishing, and the use of titles related to higher education, applying the principles of governance, transparency, risk management, and academic integrity, and developing an innovative educational environment that supports digital transformation, in addition to adopting sustainable practices in the management of educational resources and facilities.
The decree law requires higher education institutions and technical and vocational education and training institutions that offer electronic/digital or blended educational programs to apply quality assurance standards in accordance with approved national frameworks and to submit their programs to independent academic or professional accreditation to ensure the efficiency of educational outcomes, in addition to adopting innovative and flexible educational methods that take into account the privacy of digital education, ensure data protection and intellectual property rights, and enhance interaction and effective participation between students and faculty members.
The decree law specifies special regulatory provisions for higher education institutions in free zones, requiring them to obtain a local permit from the competent local authority and an institutional license from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to practice their activities. The Ministry grants an institutional license to the institution that has obtained the local permit without the need to repeat the licensing procedures or pay additional fees.
It also obliges it to submit all its academic programs to the standards and mechanisms for program accreditation approved by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and to provide the information and data required by the Ministry in accordance with the mechanism approved in this regard.
It also stipulates that the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the competent local authorities coordinate among themselves to implement oversight and inspection procedures for higher education institutions operating in free zones.
The decree law obligates technical and vocational education and training institutions, before offering any vocational or technical program that ends with awarding qualifications that are at the levels of the National Qualifications Framework, to obtain the approval of the competent local authority and institutional accreditation from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. This is in addition to the obligation to obtain programmatic accreditation from the Ministry when offering any vocational or technical program that ends with the award of qualifications that are at the levels of the National Qualifications Framework and when offering any international vocational qualifications.
As for training centers and institutes that provide training programs that do not end with the granting of qualifications based on the levels of the National Qualifications Framework, they must obtain a training license to practice their training activity from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research or the competent local authority, each according to its specialty.
If these licensed training centers and institutes wish to offer professional programs that end with the granting of an accredited professional qualification that meets the levels of the National Qualifications Framework, they must obtain the approval of the competent local authority and obtain programmatic accreditation from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
The decree law also stipulates the establishment of national registries at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, which include the national registry of licensed higher education institutions and the national registry of accredited higher education programs, and organizing mechanisms for linking and exchanging data in coordination with the competent local authorities.
The decree law also imposes penalties of imprisonment and a fine of up to (10) million dirhams, or one of these two penalties, for anyone who establishes and operates a higher education institution or provides higher education programs and services in the country for the purpose of granting a qualification, or promoting or advertising its services before obtaining an institutional license from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, or who offers, promotes, or advertises any academic or vocational program, accepts students, or begins studying in it without obtaining program accreditation, or announces the granting of certificates before meeting the requirements. And the necessary licenses to grant them, or in the event of refraining from providing data or information requested by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research or providing incorrect data or information.
The decree law affirms the country’s commitment to building a flexible and sustainable higher education system, based on quality, transparency and governance, and supports innovation and lifelong learning, thus consolidating the UAE’s position as a regional and global center for higher education and scientific research.
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