The University Leadership Council (ULC) is uniquely positioned to drive impact across the ecosystem of academic institutions of higher learning in the UAE, as it has positioned itself since its inception to be acting as a lynchpin between (i) Academia, (ii) Public Sector and (iii) Private Sector, at the service of this country’s Youth.
The ULC has also maintained an independent perspective over the years, and succeeded in establishing strong trust-based relationships with all key stakeholders, and benefited from the unwavering support and distinguished patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development.
The vision of ULC is to meaningfully enhance the Human Capital ecosystem in the UAE, and therefore act as one of the significant enablers of the UAE vision. In order to realize this aspiration, three key areas of strategic focus were identified:
- Enabling and enhancing collaboration and an ongoing constructive dialogue among the leading academic institutions of higher learning;
- Enhancing the triangulation between industry and the leading academic institutions of higher learning in order to ensure the focus of academic programs is aligned to what the private sector needs and enhance ongoing mutually beneficial joint endeavors;
- Fostering a mindset of entrepreneurship and life-long learning among the UAE youth, so that it can become globally competitive;
As a unique platform dedicated to align with the vision and strategic goals of the UAE to develop and enhance the knowledge economy of the future, the University Leadership Council joint endeavors aim to (i) enhance ongoing collaborative dialogues between the leading universities in the UAE through mutually beneficial joint endeavours; (ii) foster the triangulation between the private sector, the public sector, and academia to build a mutually enhancing knowledge sharing eco-system; and (iii) ensure the continued development of joint programs focused on the capacity-building and the empowerment of the UAE youth to enhance their skills and match the theoretical knowledge they gain in the classroom with the practical knowledge of the University of Life and within the ranks of industry. It also (iv) facilitates joint international collaborative agreement with leading universities in the US and Europe (such as University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; McGill University; University of Paris II; and other such prominent academic insitutions and knowledge hubs).
The ULC thus offers a unique platform for the enhancement of the knowledge economy of the future with initiatives such as the Arab Knowledge Forum; the ULC Public Policy Briefs Series, co-launched with MBRSG; the national development mentorship programs with leading partners from industry; and the BUNYAN initiative for the capacity-building of the UAE youth) and serves as a powerful catalyst for knowledge generation and knowledge sharing in the UAE.