New university faces an old problem

DUBAI // Many foreign universities opening branches in the UAE have overestimated the size of their first-year enrolment. The nation's first Canadian university is no exception. The University of Waterloo started courses this week with about 25 students, far short of the 120 predicted by a university official earlier this year.

Still, Waterloo officials insist they are not disappointed. "Maybe we were overly optimistic," said the campus director, Dr Peter Douglas. "My understanding is that we have done better than many of the other universities in their start-up year." Even established institutions, such as the American University of Sharjah (AUS), began with modest numbers, he said. AUS, founded in 1997, now has about 5,000 students.

And the University of Waterloo itself was launched in Canada in 1957 with 74 students. It now has 28,000. The new branch, based at Dubai Men's College, offers bachelor of applied science degrees in chemical engineering and civil engineering. It is the first foreign university to open in partnership with a federal university. Waterloo aims to eventually admit about 65 students per course each year, said Dr Leo Rothenburg, associate vice president international.

"We've seen some figures from other universities, and it's pretty well the same trend with all of them," Dr Rothenburg said. "In the beginning, classes are small. There may be a positive aspect because it allows you to debug the system. It is easier to cope with small classes." Waterloo's high English-language entry requirements have been "a little bit of a stumbling block" to recruitment, Dr Rothenburg said. Other foreign universities have cited the same problem.

"There are a lot of very strong students from countries like Iran, but their English is a limiting factor," he said. Dr Rothenburg also said the high-profile closure of the George Mason University in Ras al Khaimah "absolutely" could dent people's confidence in branch campuses. George Mason closed this year following several years of poor student recruitment and after failing to agree on funding levels with the RAK Government. American University of Ras al Khaimah opened a new branch campus at the site this week.

The issue of branch campuses being at risk of closure was raised at an open house for potential students earlier this year, but Dr Rothenburg said it should not be a concern. "In the absolutely unlikely situation of it happening, we will take all the students to Waterloo immediately," he said. He said Waterloo's relationship with Dubai Men's College and the Higher Colleges of Technology should be a reassuring factor.

"I think the presence of the HCT proves considerable commitment to parents because it's a very strong local institution," he said. The partnership with a federal university means Waterloo is licensed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and programmes are accredited by the ministry's Commission for Academic Accreditation. Students will spend two years in the UAE before transferring to the home campus in the state of Ontario for their final two years.

Students who do not want to travel to Canada or are not granted visas can remain in the UAE to complete their course at the HCT, which will award them a degree. Those who complete two years in Canada will receive Waterloo and HCT degrees. dbardsley@thenational.ae