Jones Lang LaSalle Mena (JLL) has signed an MoU with Heriot-Watt University Dubai to support its real estate management and development masters degree course.

The team will contribute practical support for the university as well as sponsor an annual award to be given to the student who produces the best dissertation, a statement from the real estate services firm said.

The new MoU forms part of the company’s commitment to support local education initiatives and to encourage and promote professional real estate skills across the UAE to the very highest international standards.

Alan Robertson, chief executive officer of Jones Lang LaSalle Mena, said: “The graduates of today are the real estate professionals of tomorrow and we firmly believe it is important to encourage the very best talent in every region we operate within. Jones Lang LaSalle has an established relationship with Heriot-Watt University that dates back more than 25 years. The university has an international reputation for educational excellence, particularly in the real estate sector and this is something we are keen to support.”

Heriot-Watt University was named Scottish University of the Year 2011 to 2012 by the Sunday Times newspaper in the UK and is currently ranked in the top 4 percent of universities worldwide. 

It was also one of the first higher education institutions to receive a license from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai (KHDA), recognising the university’s commitment to provide UAE students with the highest quality British education, the statement said.

Michael Waters, programme co-ordinator for Heriot-Watt University’s MSc real estate degree said: “Industry partnerships, such as this MoU with Jones Lang LaSalle, are critical teaching and learning tools for students allowing linkages to be made between the theoretical study material and practical implementation within the real estate industry.”

“Our real estate programme is designed to equip graduates with core business skills, critical thinking and an in-depth knowledge and understanding across core real estate disciplines, such as valuation, investment analysis, development feasibility, property management and the emerging trends of sustainability. It is the only accredited Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyor (RICS) postgraduate programme delivered in the Mena region and partnerships with JLL and other RICS firms allows depth within our degree programme,” he said.

“It also allows students to gain exposure to the local and international standards. This partnership not only offers students an opportunity to network with leading global property professionals, but the potential for top-performing students to gain internships or graduate training towards RCIS membership,” Waters added.

The MSc in real estate management and development at the university campus at Dubai International Academic City was the first dedicated real estate course to be offered in the UAE and provides the essential learning components of property economics, valuation methodology, construction, investment analysis, international property law and property asset management. 

Students gain an appreciation of the processes taking place within property transactions, development projects and investment funding, it said.

Jones Lang LaSalle hopes to collaborate with other leading educational organisations and institutions and is currently in discussions to support a range of other proposed initiatives in the UAE and the region. – TradeArabia News Service