4 Obligations on universities to provide digital or blended education programs

The federal decree law regarding higher education and scientific research specified four obligations for higher education institutions and technical and vocational education and training institutions that offer electronic, digital, or blended educational programs, which included adopting innovative and flexible educational methods that take into account the privacy of digital education and within the protection of data and intellectual property rights, and enhance interaction and active participation between students and faculty members, and apply quality assurance standards in accordance with approved national frameworks, and subject these programs to independent academic or professional accreditation to ensure the efficiency of educational outcomes, in addition to periodic review of these programs to ensure continuity of quality and update curricula to ensure It is compatible with technological developments and labor market requirements, in accordance with the standards and mechanisms determined by the approved national frameworks.

In detail, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research confirmed that it will work with local authorities, higher education institutions and all concerned parties in the sector to implement the provisions of the federal decree law in accordance with best practices, with the aim of building a flexible and innovative educational environment that employs modern technology and supports lifelong learning in a way that consolidates the position of higher education as a main lever for sustainable development and the knowledge economy. Pursuant to this decree law, unified national frameworks for regulating higher education and scientific research are issued by a decision of the Council of Ministers after the approval of the Council of Education, Human Development and Society, in view of the importance of these frames of reference that It contributes to raising the quality and competitiveness of higher education, and includes: 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.

In the same context, the new law issued by the UAE government, at the end of last month, obligated higher education institutions in free zones to obtain an institutional license to practice their activities, and to obtain a local permit from the competent local authority before submitting an application for an institutional license, and authorized the Ministry of Higher Education to grant an institutional license to a higher education institution in free zones that obtained a local permit without the need to repeat the institutional licensing procedures or pay additional fees, while higher education institutions in free zones are obligated to provide the information and data required by the Ministry.

All academic programs at higher education institutions in free zones are subject to the standards and mechanisms for program accreditation approved by the Ministry. The Ministry and local authorities, based on their coordination, have the right to implement monitoring and inspection procedures for higher education institutions in free zones, while the competent local authority is responsible for imposing penalties and administrative measures on higher education institutions in free zones in accordance with the local legislation in force in the emirate. Local authorities are also responsible for issuing local frameworks to regulate the issuance of local permits, evaluation and oversight, quality of performance, and scientific research activities, without It conflicts with the requirements of approved national frameworks.

According to the new 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.