ABU DHABI // A scheme to allow employers and universities to compare international qualifications, including vocational and academic, is due to come into effect next year.
The Qualifications Framework Project is proposing a 10-point scale to evaluate qualifications. Detailed descriptions of students' knowledge, skills and responsibilities at each level are also being formulated.
Work began after a directive from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, who said it would be useful for employers and to higher-education institutions, which would get a clearer idea of what to include in courses.
Faisal Albakeri, the project director, said: "It will guarantee the recognition of foreign qualifications, so the learning outcomes of people from different countries, from Asia or Europe, would be mapped against this framework."
Top of the scale is the doctorate, which is worth 10 points. A master's degree is nine, and a bachelor's degree is eight points.
The International Baccalaureate would count as five points and a high-school leaving certificate four.
Vocational qualifications would be ranked on a similar scale, with a foundation-level certificate given two points and an associate diploma five points.
Prof Xavier Rodrigues, an adviser to the project, said: "Other countries have a vocational framework, but it's distinct from the academic. This integrated framework will permit movement between the systems."
Mr Albakeri said this flexibility would encourage a culture of "lifelong learning", as people could transfer between different areas of education and different industries more easily.
Training courses, professional experience and classroom learning would be taken into account when a person's position on the scale was calculated.
"We're working in co-ordination with industry to establish occupational standards," Mr Albakeri said. "The educational providers will use these standards to tailor-make their programmes, to ensure what's provided meets the demands of industry."
The project was set up by the board of trustees of the UAE's Institute of Applied Technology in January 2007 and is supported by the UAE armed forces, which will apply the framework.
Project officials said the UAE would be the first country in the region to have a central system to recognise qualifications. A similar 10-point scale is used in Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.
dbardsley@thenational.ae
Under-21 European Championship Final
Germany 1 Spain 0
Weiser (40')
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
New Zealand
Penalties: Barrett (7)
British & Irish Lions
Tries: Faletau, Murray
Penalties: Farrell (4)
Conversions: Farrell
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
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TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh12 million
Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto
Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm
Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
2019 Asian Cup final
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
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- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Ukraine
Capital: Kiev
Population: 44.13 million
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
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