Duke University, one of the United States’ top ranked universities, has signed an agreement with DIFC Centre of Excellence to open its Dubai Campus and deliver business and policy education programmes in the emirate.

The partnership was announced at an event on Tuesday at the DIFC Conference Centre to mark the launch of the University’s Dubai Campus in the presence of Sheikh Mansour Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Under the agreement, Duke University will establish a campus at the DIFC Centre of Excellence, which provides a platform for global educational institutions to provide executive and professional education programmes to students in the region.

Duke and the DIFC Centre of Excellence will also establish joint research centres, which will allow Duke’s faculty and graduate students to pursue research topics related to the UAE and the Middle East while contributing to scholarship within the UAE.

The global programmes of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, including the Duke MBA - Cross Continent, the Duke MBA - Global Executive MBA, the Advanced Management Program and the Global Leadership Program will run at the DIFC Centre of Excellence.

DIFC governor Dr Omar Bin Sulaiman said: "As part of the vision of Sheikh Mohammed, education plays a major role in both Dubai’s and the UAE’s future growth strategy."

"Education is also critical to the Middle East region’s ability to sustain the momentum of its growth. The DIFC seeks to create a large pool of global education and learning resources to help develop the leaders and skilled professionals necessary for the UAE and the region to meet the challenges and tap the opportunities of today’s rapidly changing economy."

"Duke University’s programmes delivered at the DIFC Centre of Excellence will contribute to our effort to offer a wider choice of global educational opportunities to the region," he added.

The University’s new programmes will build on its existing relationship with Dubai. The institution already has a strong partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Leadership Programme.

DIFC Centre of Excellence CEO Faten Hani said: "We are delighted that Duke University and The Fuqua School of Business have selected the DIFC Centre of Excellence for one of its global campuses."

"The DIFC Centre of Excellence seeks to partner with global educational institutional like Duke University to provide world-class learning and development resources that can help professionals in the region enhance their competencies in today’s rapidly evolving economy."

"With its vast experience in providing high-quality professional education, Duke University will add a lot of value to the pool of global educational resources available at the DIFC Centre of Excellence," he pointed out.

Duke also intends to offer a one-year Masters Degree in Management Studies in Government at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Programme for Leadership Development (MBRPLD).

The programme will be tailored to the educational needs of government officials throughout the Middle East, and will draw on the expertise of Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and Terry Sanford Institute for Public Policy.

Duke president Richard H. Brodhead said: “Partnering with these prominent UAE institutions will allow Duke University to provide its students and faculty with unparalleled learning opportunities, while making significant contributions to the development of the region.”

The DIFC Centre of Excellence and MBRPLD partnerships will create a significant embedded presence in Dubai for The Fuqua School of Business, which in September 2008 announced plans to expand its operations to Dubai, London, New Delhi, St. Petersburg and Shanghai.

Duke first became engaged with the Dubai Executive Office through the MBRPLD, which was designed and delivered by Duke Corporate Education.

Blair Sheppard, dean and professor of