Ajman University issues statement responding to the decision of the Ministry of Education, Sultanate of Oman

Ajman University of Science and Technology received a letter from the cultural attaché at the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in Abu Dhabi on February 26, 2015 detailing the decision to cease granting degree equivalence to Omani students enrolled in Ajman University beginning next academic year 2015-2016.

Ajman University has been closely following up this matter and deems it necessary to clarify its position on this unprecedented decision and the grounds on which the Omani Ministry of Higher Education took it. 

The official communique of the Omani cultural attaché stated that the reason for this decision is the “saturation of the labor market in the Sultanate of Oman, within specific disciplines”, which completely contradicts the statements advanced by the Director of the Department of Qualifications and Recognition at the Ministry of Higher Education in Oman, citing as example the teaching diploma offered by AUST College of Education. The Omani official said that the Ministry’s retention rate for AUST diploma graduates decreased sharply in the last few years, pointing out to low quality standards.

Ajman University would like to reaffirm that the admission rates to its different programs are well-known and remain unchanged, reiterating its strict commitment to adhering to these standards, which are routinely assessed and monitored by the Commission for Academic Accreditation at the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

AUST Professional Teaching Diploma, a post-graduate program, has been developed and accredited in line with the recommendations and requirements of an expert team from the Commission for Academic Accreditation. The CAA, the authority at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in charge of assessing and monitoring quality for all accredited higher education institutions in the UAE, grants program accreditation only after the applying institution proves that it is able to meet a wide set of international standards and criteria, designed to ensure high quality educational outcomes. The CAA sends in a team of expert evaluators to assess the institution proposing the new program, reviewing meticulously 11 key standards: Mission, Organization and Governance, Quality Assurance, Educational Program, Faculty and Professional Staff, Students, Learning Resources, Physical Resources, Fiscal Resources, Public Disclosure and Integrity, Research and Scholarly Activities, and Community Engagement.

After a series of field visits, the CAA experts submit a detailed report of the results of the evaluation process, which details the strengths and weaknesses as well as a set of recommendations that the applying institution needs to meet before it is granted initial accreditation.

Hence, we wonder about the nature of the extensive reviews on which the director of qualifications and recognition justified this decision and how relevant these reviews are to the applicable international standards. We further wonder whether this is an acceptable reason to write off the remaining 45 accredited programs Ajman University offers.

Furthermore, Ajman University has not received any formal notification through the official channels to provide any sort of institutional data that could be used as basis for a similar assessment report.

We also would like to note that the great majority of the Omani students enrolled in our Professional Teaching Diploma are Bachelor’s holders who graduated from Omani universities, which are licensed by the Omani Ministry of Higher Education. These students enroll in our teaching diploma for a duration of two semesters only.

Ajman University of Science & Technology; thanks to the unlimited support of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said of Oman, and the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Member of UAE Supreme Council Ruler of Ajman, Chairman of Ajman University Board of Trustees, is very proud of its 10,000+ Omani graduates, who have been helping reshape their communities and their country. The 749 Omani students who are currently enrolled in our two campuses of Ajman and Fujairah will receive our utmost support and care to ensure them a smooth and successful academic tenure.