ABU DHABI — The United Arab Emirates plans to establish an aerospace
university.
Officials said the university would be an integral part of the UAE's forthcoming
aerospace industry. They said the planned $15 billion industry would develop
maintenance and production facilities.
The university would be established and administered by Dubai Aerospace
Enterprise, it was announced in February. DAE has signed a memorandum of
understanding with Britain's Cranfield University to establish the UAE
university in Dubai, Middle East Newsline reported.
The planned UAE university, termed Dubai Aerospace Enterprise
University, would be fully operational by 2015, officials said. They said
the institution, meant to handle up to 8,000 students, would offer a range
of academic degrees and apprenticeship programs.
"DAE University offers something completely new to the region," DAE
managing director Mohammad Al Zarouni said. "It is an important foundation
stone of DAE's master plan that will see the creation of an aerospace
powerhouse with its base in Dubai."
In the first stage, officials said DAE University would offer aerospace
courses planned by Cranfield. Later, DAE University would team with
additional leading aerospace universities to offer undergraduate and
aviation MBA programs.
