Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), a member of Tecom Investments Education Cluster, said students enrolled in over 30 universities within the cluster will begin the 2010-2011 academic year this month.

The campuses at Tecom Investments Education Cluster offer over 300 higher education programmes including diplomas, undergraduate degrees and post-graduate degrees.

The 2010-2011 academic year will also witness the launch of several new programmes by institutions such as Manipal University Dubai, University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) and American University in the Emirates.

Heriot-Watt University and Manipal University Dubai have announced expansion plans that include construction of additional buildings.

Dr Ayoub Kazim, managing director, Tecom (Education Cluster), said: “Over the years, Dubai has made significant strides in fostering an education hub for the region. We are well-poised to register further progress as a formidable academic centre. We believe DIAC has taken the right step in this long journey to become renowned worldwide for excellence.”

Manipal University Dubai currently has 1,600 students and offers undergraduate and graduate programmes in Biotechnology, Information Technology, Management Studies, Media and Communications, Fashion Design, Interior Design and Bachelor of Engineering.

The university recently announced plans for a new 250,000 sq. ft campus in DIAC that will feature library facilities with reading hall, state-of-the-art infrastructure with modern academic amenities, sports complex and a food court.

Starting this academic year, Manipal University Dubai has introduced Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science and Bachelor of Science in Animation programmes to keep pace with the increasing demand for new courses.

American University in the Emirates has introduced new programmes including Bachelor’s Degree in Law and Business Administration, Master of Arts in Diplomacy and Master of Business Administration.

University of Wollongong Dubai (UOWD) will offer a new Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme from Autumn 2010.

Along with the recent accreditation of the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), the new course positions UOWD as a leading research and teaching university in the UAE. It also makes UOWD the first nationally accredited private university in the UAE to offer PhD and DBA programmes.

According to Rob Whelan, president of UOWD, the university has had its biggest enrolment ever in Spring 2010. 'There has already been significant interest in our doctoral programmes, with over 600 ‘expressions of interest’ thus far for the limited number of seats available,' he noted.

'Interestingly, almost 50 per cent of the enquiries are from UAE nationals. These candidates will now be able to pursue an international standard doctoral programme in Dubai without having to travel overseas.'

“UOWD ran a very popular summer semester once again in 2010, with many students taking the opportunity to fast-track progress through their degree programmes,” Whelan added.

Heriot-Watt University, one of the UK's leading universities for business and industry, set up base in the Tecom Investments Education Cluster in 2005, offering a range of courses both at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Heriot-Watt held a ground-breaking ceremony in July 2010 for a new campus in DIAC that is set to treble its capacity and significantly expand its course offering. As a part of the new development, the 300,000 sq. ft modern and eco-friendly complex will be set up, extending the 1,500-student campus to accommodate a further 3,000 enrollments.

Prof Ammar Kaka, a vice-principal of Heriot-Watt University, executive dean and head of Heriott-Watt University Dubai Campus, said: 'Heriot-Watt University is delighted to welcome its new students. Our intake has grown by 30 per cent, compared to September last year, matching the growth level of the previous year.'

'A number of new programmes are being offered this September including MSC in Finance, Business Management with International Marketing, Business Management with HRM, Business Management with Finance and International Accountancy and Finance.'

'Programmes such as Civil Engineering, introduced last year, have been very successful and we have seen at least a 50 per cent growth in students’ intake this year,' Kaka explained.

“We are now proposing to introduce 10 extra programmes for September 2011 in line with our plans to move into the new purpose-built campus. We believe our new campus will enable us to attract a larger number of students from outside the UAE, which concurs with DIAC’s vision of establishing Dubai as an education hub for the region,” he added.

DIAC hosts over 30 institutions from 11 different countries including the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, India, France, Singapore, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Lebanon and the UAE. Every year, around 3,500 students pass out of Dubai International Academic City.-TradeArabia News Service