AUS inks pact with foundation to offer MBA in blended format

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

American University of Sharjah (AUS) announces its partnership with the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation (AGF) which aims to expand access to its renowned Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme. In a significant move, the MBA will now be available through a blended learning format, combining face-to-face and online components, reflecting AUS’s commitment to innovative and accessible education. It has officially begun accepting applications for its blended learning format starting Spring 2024.

The MBA’s blended learning model is the result of a collaboration between AUS and the University Consortium for Quality Online Learning (UCQOL), spearheaded in 2021 by AGF in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Education and nine leading universities in the United Arab Emirates. This strategic partnership aims to strengthen e-learning systems, develop high-quality online courses, and enhance capacity within the consortium to deliver learner-centred online education.

As a testament to this transformative initiative, Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi and Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair recently inaugurated the “Abdulla Al Ghurair Digital Teaching and Learning Center,” further highlighting the commitment to advancing education accessibility. During the inauguration, Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair emphasised the paramount importance of collaboration between the Foundation and the universities, recognising it as a cornerstone for achieving the wider vision of accessible and innovative education.

He stressed that fostering strategic partnerships across educational institutions is crucial for driving positive transformations in the education sector. Offered by the AUS School of Business Administration (SBA), the programme will offer digital content customised to student needs, catering to different student learning styles and supporting self-paced learning that is flexible — a major benefit for students who are geographically remote or who have significant work or family commitments.

This blended model will allow the programme to maximise student effectiveness by exploiting the advantages of technology while maintaining opportunities for face-to-face classroom experiences. “Through our strategic partnership with AGF, AUS is proud to launch a transformative MBA in a blended learning format. This innovative approach, combining online flexibility with face-to-face experiences, aligns with our commitment to accessible education and marks a milestone in advancing education accessibility.

This initiative underscores our dedication to empowering ambitious individuals, transcending geographical constraints and fostering greater diversity and inclusion,” said Dr Narjess Boubakri, Dean of SBA. AUS is well-prepared to deliver online learning, with dedicated instructional design staff, housed within the AUS Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, to help the faculty prepare materials for their online delivery.

Furthermore, the AUS Educational Technology and Support team are on-hand to support AUS faculty in delivering online courses. The team consists of highly qualified technology specialists who are equipped with a broad range of technical and educational technology knowledge, skills and training. The team provides one-on-one support to faculty through an industry standard IT service management system.

Danah Dajani, Senior Vice President- Programmes and Partnerships, from the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation said, “The Foundation’s collaboration with AUS is one more example of our commitment to top institutions advancing high-quality online education in the region. We know that young Emiratis and Arabs have great potential and we are dedicated to providing them with the best future-facing learning opportunities.

When they are enabled to contribute to global sustainable development solutions, we have hope for our communities. Partnering with AUS in launching a top-tier online programme enhances accessibility for students unable to attend campus full-time, fostering greater diversity, and inclusion at the university level.” AUS envisions expanding the programme online in the future, offering even more accessibility and flexibility.