Dubai’s quality assurance body approves SZABIST programmes

KARACHI – The Dubai government’s international quality assurance body has approved the programmes of the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZAIST), the SZABIST spokesperson announced on Wednesday. “SZABIST has become the only Pakistan-based university, whose programmes have been approved by the Dubai’s government highly reputable international quality assurance body following an international peer review,” the spokesperson said.
It was pointed out that the academic programmes of the SZABIST Dubai Campus were reviewed by the University Quality Assurance International Board (UQAIB) set up by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) of the Dubai government. Dr A Faiz M Ishaq, head of the Dubai Campus, highlighted the curriculum and key features of the programmes being offered there.
The board approved all the six academic programmes being offered in the Dubai Campus that are the same as those being taught at SZABIST’s home campus. The six programme are – Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Computing, Bachelor of Science in Media Studies, Executive Master of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Computing.
As a next step, Dr Ishaq also presented a framework of the plans that SZABIST has for further strengthening its academic programmes. `We are very pleased with what SZABIST has done, especially because this has been a joint effort with other institutions in Dubai. This really is what UQAIB is about; we are striving to guarantee the standard of higher education in our Free Zones,” said UQAIB Chairman and Executive Director of Higher Education at KHDA Dr Warren Fox.
The KHDA has set up the UQAIB to assist qualifications and programmes with oversight of the quality of higher education offered by foreign higher education providers operating in the Dubai Free Zones. The 10-member UQAIB board comprises academics and quality assurance experts from around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, UK, South Africa, USA, Hong Kong, India and Saudi Arabia.