Al Ain University receives global quality accreditation

Al Ain University in the United Arab Emirates has successfully completed its International Quality Review (IQR) and been awarded global quality accreditation by QAA.

IQR is a rigorous process which benchmarks global higher education institutions against international quality assurance standards set out in Part 1 of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG).

The review visit was conducted on 12-14 February 2024 by three independent reviewers appointed by QAA. In making their conclusions, the review team confirmed that the University meets all 10 of the internal quality assurance standards in the ESG.

Al Ain University was established in 2004. Its programme offerings now include 22 undergraduate programmes across six colleges (Engineering; Pharmacy; Law; Education, Humanities and Social Sciences; Business; and Communication and Media), as well as eight master’s programmes and a Professional Diploma in Teaching. 

The review team found three examples of good practice and was able to make five recommendations for enhancement. These recommendations are of a desirable rather than essential nature and are proposed to enable the University to build on existing practice which is operating satisfactorily but which could be improved or enhanced. The team did not set any conditions. 

Overall, the team concluded that Al Ain University meets all standards for International Quality Review. 

QAA's review team identified the following areas of particularly good practice at Al Ain University:

• The mobilisation of the entire University community in its sustainable development initiative, through academic programmes, research and extra-curricular initiatives.
• The range and quality of the University's physical resources make a significant contribution to enabling students to meet programme learning outcomes.
• The bespoke digital portal system for institutional document management is an accessible and integrated means for the sound administration of quality assurance.

Dr Nazih Khaddaj Mallat, Vice-President (Accreditation & Quality Assurance) at Al Ain University, said: 'We are immensely proud to achieve a significant milestone by obtaining institutional accreditation through the QAA International Quality Review. This international recognition, obtained after rigorous assessment against the 10 European Standards and Guidelines for internal quality assurance, directly impacts the student learning experience and underscores our commitment to excellence in education, continuous improvement, and adherence to international best practices. We extend our heartfelt thanks to QAA and the review team for their invaluable contribution to this accomplishment.'

Chris Bland, QAA’s Head of Accreditation and Consultancy, added: 'QAA is very happy to congratulate Al Ain University on completing its International Quality Review. We have very much enjoyed working with our colleagues in the United Arab Emirates, and we look forward to collaborating with them in the future.'

This IQR accreditation will be valid for five years, subject to a satisfactory mid-cycle review. Al Ain University can now display QAA’s IQR Accreditation Badge, showing that their quality assurance processes are comparable with international best practice.

By securing IQR accreditation from QAA, international institutions can clearly spotlight their quality standards internationally, and more easily start dialogues with institutions outside their own country.

You can read Al Ain University's IQR report on our website, where you can also find out more about the IQR process and QAA International Membership. If you are interested in your institution seeking accreditation or international membership, and wish to discuss this further, please contact the QAA Global team at accreditation@qaa.ac.uk