Canadian University Dubai (CUD), one of the top ten universities in the UAE (according to 2020 QS Arab Region University Rankings), has announced a 30 per cent reduction in fees for both new and returning students, to help distressed parents during the COVID-19 crisis.
“We understand the strain parents and students are going through following the disruption caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 and we empathize with them. In the light of the current challenging situation where parents might be losing jobs or getting salary cuts, we are pleased to offer a 30% reduction in fess for both new and returning students across all our Undergraduate and Graduate programs,” commented Mr. Buti Saeed Al Ghandi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Chancellor, Canadian University Dubai.
“This financial relief is part of our role to support parents and students as they struggle to tide over the crisis. As an educator with a community commitment, we believe it is our responsibility to find ways to encourage continued education in these tough times,” added Professor Karim Chelli, President and Vice-Chancellor, Canadian University Dubai.
Meanwhile, the university has made rapid strides in migrating to distance learning through a slew of far-reaching initiatives following closure of classroom learning due to COVID-19. Its IT department has worked tirelessly to prepare for seamless delivery of over 80 hours of coursework shifted to a virtual environment. This included over 60 hours of training for faculty. The IT team is also working hard to respond quickly to technical issues that arise from students, faculty and staff. Since beginning of online classes on March 22, the IT team has overseen and supported over 310 online meetings, over 40,000 online meeting minutes with over 6,500 attendees.
CUD is currently in an expansion mode. In its first expansion drive in 14 years, CUD is geared to open a hi-tech next-generation campus in Dubai’s upmarket destination – City Walk – in September 2020. Spread across two ‘iconic’ buildings, the new campus will boast hi-tech classrooms, an incubator lab and a host of innovative labs, with a focus on entrepreneurship, research and non-conventional approach to teaching and learning.
