Sharjah Advances Academic Excellence Through International Partnership with Advance HE

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi witnesses a landmark agreement that will elevate teaching standards and professional development across Sharjah's higher education institutions.

In a significant milestone for Sharjah’s commitment to educational excellence, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Sharjah Council for Higher Education and Scientific Research and Advance HE, the United Kingdom’s leading authority on higher education quality and professional standards.

The agreement, signed at the Council’s headquarters in University City, represents a strategic collaboration designed to strengthen the emirate’s position as a centre of academic distinction. Dr. Aisha Bukhater Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the Council, and Alistair Jarvis, Chief Executive of Advance HE, formalised the partnership that will bring international best practices and expertise to Sharjah’s higher education landscape.

Through this cooperation, Sharjah’s institutions will gain access to comprehensive professional development programmes, leadership initiatives and resources specifically designed to enhance the quality of teaching and academic staff capabilities. The partnership encompasses workshops, seminars and the systematic exchange of expertise, establishing pathways for continuous institutional improvement.

A cornerstone of the agreement is the facilitation of the Professional Standards Framework, an internationally recognised reference for university teaching quality. This framework underpins Advance HE’s professional fellowship categories, offering a robust mechanism for recognising and elevating academic standards. Higher education institutions in Sharjah will now have the opportunity to pursue institutional membership with Advance HE, a pathway that connects them with global academic networks and enables participation in international benchmarking initiatives.

The agreement reflects Sharjah’s broader vision for educational advancement. As we reported in Sharjah’s recent comprehensive initiatives supporting excellence across multiple sectors, the emirate continues to invest strategically in its human capital and institutional capabilities.

What it means for Abu Dhabi

This partnership underscores the UAE’s commitment to leveraging international expertise in service of educational quality across its emirates. By facilitating access to globally recognised professional standards and academic networks, Sharjah’s higher education sector strengthens not only its own institutions but contributes to the competitive advantage of the entire nation’s knowledge economy.

The collaboration demonstrates how the emirates continue to position themselves within international frameworks of excellence, ensuring that UAE graduates and academic professionals meet the highest standards recognised worldwide. The Professional Standards Framework adoption signals a commitment to transparent, internationally validated measures of teaching quality, enhancing the reputation and reach of Sharjah’s higher education sector beyond regional borders.

Source: WAM