Internationalization Of Higher Education: A Reflection On Success And Failures Among Foreign Universities In The United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Globalization has affected many sectors of the society, including higher education. In the current global economy, higher education institutions face numerous challenges. Factors such as the increasing international competition, achieving higher ranking among global universities, and the pursuit of creating world-class institutions has had a significant impact on higher education institutions. While universities respond to these challenges differently, some higher education institutions are increasingly moving toward the internationalization of their campuses. Internationalization of higher education programs includes branch campuses, cross border collaborative programs, exchange of international students, and establishment of English-medium programs and degrees. Over the past decade, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been on the receiving line of this phenomena. Internationalization of higher education has greatly affected the UAE as it continues to strive toward becoming a leading education hub in the Middle East. Until recently, the goal of the UAE has been to make higher education accessible to all students within the UAE by providing them with quality learning resources. However, over the past several years, in addition to providing its citizens with quality education, the country is working toward establishing itself as a world-class regional education hub through inviting prominent universities to set up campuses in the country. This paper examines the current trends in internationalization of higher education and analyzes the recent successes and some unanticipated outcomes of this phenomenon in the UAE.