The top four institutions in the latest World University Rankings – Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford, and Cambridge – have a combined age of 1,479 years. With just 99 years between them, the four UAE universities on the list, are just beginning their academic journeys by comparison.
But the faculty and students at Khalifa University, UAE University, the University of Sharjah and the American University of Sharjah should be proud of their appearance in the World University Rankings and look forward to even higher ratings in future years, as they reap the rewards of their hard work.
The Founding Father Sheikh Zayed would likely be proud too. He said he wanted all the children of the Gulf to learn and build their own countries themselves, using their knowledge.
Establishing national universities with international reputations is not something that can be accomplished overnight. As reflected in the methodology of the World University Rankings, such prestige is built on solid, quantifiable foundations, each a measure of the impact a university and its students have on the wider world. Research is by far the most significant factor, particularly in terms of the number of papers published in influential journals and the number of times a university’s research is cited.
Accordingly, the UAE's universities must now focus on building their reputations for research. It will take an investment of time and resources. Carrying out meaningful, groundbreaking research in any field is neither fast nor easy. But the rewards for students, institutions and, ultimately, the national economy will be both invaluable and manifold.
The UAE has been accustomed to achieving unprecedented and rapid change since its earliest days. It has evolved from a reliance on importing the expertise vital to kickstarting national development, whether in oil extraction and engineering or health and education, to the development of flourishing homegrown skills and talent.
And the country is already showing what it can accomplish in the field of academic research. Nadim Mahassen, president of the Centre for World University Rankings, highlighted how Khalifa University has bolstered its research since being formed out of a merger of three institutions in 2017.
We have strong reasons to believe then, that our best universities will continue to rise up the world league tables in the years to come.