DUNDEE’S Al-Maktoum Institute has today (June 1, 2011) changed its name to the Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education.
The name change is an important development for the Al-Maktoum College as it works towards its aim of achieving University College status by the year 2020.
“We are very proud to be establishing a new college in Dundee, building on our past successes,” said college principal, Professor Malory Nye.
“We believe our new name clearly shows that the Al-Maktoum College is a place of learning for everyone in Dundee and beyond.
“People of all backgrounds come to study with us, for a variety of different courses.
“A number of our graduates are from Dundee and we are currently running classes in English and Arabic which are proving extremely popular with residents in the city.
“Our purpose is to engage at community level with everyone.
“There is excellent provision at Further and Higher Education level in Dundee and we are part of it – and that’s why we are developing more courses for the people of Dundee, in addition to our increasing number of post-graduate ones.
“We want people to come to the Al-Maktoum College to learn. We believe our new title more clearly identifies our purpose and role and will help attract new students.
“The name change will be a very important part of our public branding as a centre for the provision of quality education in Scotland. The focus on our higher education status will also publicly identify us as working within the university sector.”
The Al-Maktoum College, whose first student intake was in 2002, will continue to be a centre of excellence, promoting intelligent debate and understanding of the broad field of the study of Islam and Muslims.
It will also continue to focus on the development of its students and graduates on contemporary global issues of multiculturalism, leadership, cultural engagement and global awareness, and to be a place of knowledge and reflection on the issues facing a diverse and multicultural world in the twenty-first century.
The college, which has advanced plans to develop its campus at Blackness Road, currently offers eleven Masters degree programmes and a student roll of 45.
The college’s aim for University College status would bring further academic distinction to Dundee.
“It would make the College a distinctive, independent and internationally-recognised centre of excellence for higher education with its own degree awarding powers, while continuing our valued partnership with the University of Aberdeen,” said Professor Nye, who was appointed principal in 2008.
“University College status would mean additional student and staff numbers and the number of taught and research educational programmes would be expanded.
“Dundee is already on the map internationally because of its two existing universities, so what we plan in terms of course and campus developments would boost the city’s status and produce significant economic benefits.”
www.almi.abdn.ac.uk
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