Trade Minister to open Wollongong's new Dubai campus

Nov 27, 2003

The Federal Trade Minister Mark Vaile will officially open the University of Wollongong's new campus in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 8 December.

The "University of Wollongong in Dubai" is run by the University's corporate arm of ITC. The University of Wollongong remains the only western university in the world operating offshore in the Emirates. The new headquarters is in Knowledge Village, Dubai.

The Director of the University of Wollongong in Dubai, is Professor Rodney Hills who was the former Australian High Commissioner to Tonga and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Papua New Guinea.

The University of Wollongong was chosen in 2000 as the only western university in the world to be issued a licence from the Federal Government of the United Arab Emirates to operate in the Emirates. ITC has been responsible for the running of the Dubai operation since 1993. It was doing so in rented premises covered by a licence from the State Ministry of Education to conduct courses as well as holding a trading licence from the Dubai Economic Department.

The granting of the Federal licence had major implications as it allowed ITC to construct a new campus in 2000 (located in the area of Jumeira in Dubai) and to broaden the courses on offer and to appoint more full time staff. The Trade Minister will now open the new premises located at Knowledge Village. This is an education free zone associated with Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City, and is designed to encourage the growth of Dubai as a regional quality education entity.

Some other western universities run courses such as MBAs by distance education to the Emirates but ITC continues to manage the only offshore campus. Students from Dubai can transfer to Wollongong to undertake further studies. Similar programs are offered both from the main Wollongong campus and in Dubai. This year the University of Wollongong in Dubai had enrolled almost 1,500 students for its Spring session, a 20% growth on the number enrolled for the same session in the previous year. And a growth of 500% since 1999.

Undergraduate degrees include a Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Marketing, Management or Economics; Bachelor of Business Administration; Bachelor of Internet Science; and Bachelor of Computer Science. UOW in Dubai also offers Masters degrees in Business Administration, International Business, and Quality Management.

For further information contact ITC's Chief Executive Officer and the Vice-Principal (International) of the University of Wollongong, Mr James Langridge - phone Jennifer Nelson in his office on (02) 4221 3212.

For more information, contact:

media@uow.edu.au
University of Wollongong
Ph: (02) 4221 5942; fax (02) 4221 3128