January 31, 2016,

The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) hosted an on campus press conference today to update media on the latest developments at the institution.

Professor Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, President of AURAK, detailed some of the University’s recent success stories and achievements, and outlined exciting developments for the near future, in addition to defining AURAK’s short and long term objectives in terms of campus development and institutional accreditation.

Reviewing the steps taken over the last 12 months, the professor spoke about how recognition of the University had improved markedly, something evident from official figures which show a rapid increase in enrollment; between September 2015 and January 2016, a total of 350 new students enrolled in the university.  This is underpinned by the accreditation that AURAK has gained for all its programs from the UAE’s Commission on Academic Accreditation. In addition, close collaboration with the local government and private sector institutions is now presenting students with more possibilities than ever in terms of internships and post-graduate employment.

Professor Al Alkim also shed light on AURAK’s iconic new building, Building G, which is near completion.  A clear statement of the University’s aspiration to be one of the leading institutions of higher education in the region, Building G will contain an auditorium that will accommodate up to 450 people, classrooms which will meet the needs of nearly 500 students, as well as engineering laboratories, faculty offices, a student cafeteria, a faculty lounge and a gym.  Looking to the future, Building G is only the first stage of a five-year campus development plan which will see AURAK lay claim to one of the most advanced campuses in the country.

The university campus and its environment have also been undergoing significant developments.  In September 2015 the Al Ain Media and Communication Laboratory (AMC Lab) was officially opened, giving Mass Communications Degree students state-of-the-art technology to support their studies, in addition to the newly inaugurated petroleum engineering laboratory.  The University’s infrastructure is quickly expanding, with new roads, walkways and green areas being developed throughout the campus.

In 2009, when the University was established as the American University of Ras Al Khaimah, it offered only four programs.  Currently AURAK offers a total of 22 accredited programs, including four master’s programs.  It conferred its first master’s degrees in June 2015.

AURAK has memoranda of understanding in place with international institutions such as the University of Texas at Arlington, Appalachian State University (North Carolina), Virginia State University, and the State University of New York, Albany as well as others.  These have enabled AURAK to actively participate in student exchange and study abroad programs, with bilateral programs running since spring 2015.

As an example of the extent of AURAK’s international outreach, the University now offers dual degrees in civil and mechanical engineering in collaboration with the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA).  This allows students to earn an additional bachelor’s degree.

This February, AURAK is also planning to sign a collaborative agreement with the University of Nebraska, Kearney, which will establish formal relations between the two institutions’ Schools of Business.

In the past year, AURAK’s School of Business, in its plan to secure international accreditation for its individual programs, became a member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the longest serving global association dedicated to advancing management education worldwide. AACSB has accredited 746 of the world’s best business schools across 51 countries.

Programs within AURAK’s School of Engineering are in the process of gaining accreditation from the  Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), recognized as a global leader in assuring quality and stimulating innovation in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology education. In October 2015, AURAK hosted the ABET accrediting team for its programs in Computer Engineering and Electronics and Communication Engineering.

The University is also currently engaged in the process of gaining full institutional accreditation from the prestigious Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), one of six regional accreditation bodies in the United States.