The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (Aurak) has signed an agreement with the University of Illinois, converting the US-based university into its latest international partner.

The agreement, which was initiated by Aurak’s School of Engineering and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois’ Urbana-Champaign campus, is centered on the establishment of a ‘3+2’ co-operative academic program in which students can earn a bachelor’s degree at Aurak and a master’s degree in Illinois.

Pen was put to paper by Prof Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim and Prof Mousa Mohsen, Aurak’s president and dean of the school of engineering respectively, as well as Robert J. Jones, chancellor of the University of Illinois, Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela, vice provost for international affairs and global strategies, and Andreas Cangellaris, dean of the University of Illinois’ College of Engineering.

On the partrnership deal, Prof Mohsen said: "For Aurak students, this arrangement offers a unique opportunity to earn a postgraduate degree at a top university in the US, as well as experiencing all of the transformative impacts associated with immersion in a new culture and environment. I am so excited at the potential of this agreement.”

Prof Al Alkim said: "We are delighted with this agreement, as it seals a very close relationship with an excellent institutions in the US and provides our students with a wonderful opportunity for further study."

"Opportunities like this can effectively change lives, and at Aurak, we are immensely proud to offer these possibilities to our students through our own top-class education, as well as our network of partners across the world," he noted.

At present, Aurak has a range of international partners across Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, opening a wide spectrum of possibilities to students, including exchange and study abroad programs for up to one year, as well as shorter, summer sessions.

While Aurak’s students have travelled abroad to study in colleges such as Appalachian State University in North Carolina, the Emirati varsity also receives a number of students from the US and Europe each semester, with international students eager to experience the immersive cultural experience on offer in Ras Al Khaimah.-TradeArabia News Service