UAE universities must now measure graduate employment under new regulatory framework

UAE universities are being pushed to answer a question that goes beyond what they teach in the classroom: What happens to their graduates after they leave? Under the UAE's new higher education framework, graduate outcomes, employment and alignment with the labour market are becoming increasingly important measures of whether an academic program is delivering what it promises. Dr Ahmed Sultan Al Shuaibi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, said learning outcomes would be reviewed by subject experts, including people from the labour market, to ensure academic programmes are producing graduates with skills and knowledge that employers need. The shift is part of a wider regulatory overhaul unveiled by the Ministry, with new Cabinet decisions covering university licensing, review fees, Ministry service fees and financial guarantees, and violations and administrative measures. The new framework is designed around the quality of educational outcomes and greater confidence in qualifications. Universities are already changing how they assess programmes, involve industry and measure what happens to graduates after they leave campus. At Abu Dhabi University, the shift has included greater focus on graduate employment, industry participation in courses and research, and use of technology to collect information about graduates.