University of Dubai wins $500,000 grant to help improve two Iraqi universities

The University of Dubai (UD) recently won a grant of $500,000 (Dhs1,836,500) for its proposal to help two Iraqi universities improve the quality of their business education. The grant, awarded to UD last week by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), was created to improve the educational system in Iraq, with an emphasis on finance and banking.

Dr. Omar Hefni, President, University of Dubai said: “It is part of UD’s social responsibility to support the rebuilding of Iraq. Faculty at UD saw the grant as an opportunity to use their experience and expertise to do something helpful and they took it”

The University of Dubai will assist Al Monsour University College (AMUC), located in Baghdad, in assessing its potential for obtaining an accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) – an accreditation UD holds, along with other notable schools, such as Harvard Business School and Stanford University.

“We know this is a very big challenge,” said Dr. Dr. Ananth Rao, UD Chief Academic Officer. “But it is one of our responsibilities as an accredited university. If we are asked, ‘What did you do as an accredited university,’ we would like to say, ‘we helped two business schools raise their standards.’ And those two business schools will then have the ability to raise the standards of two more business schools in the region.”

In addition to the accreditation assessment, UD will help AMUC and the University of Baghdad (UB), the world’s second largest Arab university, to improve internship and career opportunities for their graduates. The University of Dubai’s two-year plan will establish a Center for Internship, Scholarship and Career Development for AMUC and UB, as well as plan for a Center of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Creativity.

Dr. Rao, who was integral in obtaining the grant from USAID, said it is an opportunity to help the country rebuild and strengthen the region’s foundation in business. USAID is an independent agency of the United States government that is aiding in the reconstruction of Iraq.

“Unless education is improved [in Iraq], the quality of economic development will not exist,” said Dr. Rao.

Dr. Hefni, Dr. Rao and UD Dean of Business, Prof. Mohamed Ibrahim, will make an initial trip to Baghdad on November 22. A team comprised of UD faculty will make 10 subsequent trips to work with Iraqi faculty and help implement the plan.