Internationalization of higher education in the united arab emirates: Opportunities and fears

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the internationalization of higher education has become a necessary response to address the needs of a highly globalized world. In the last decade, the UAE has been investing in its higher education system by changing policies and practices to include international dimensions in the teaching and learning process. Such change reflects a shift in the academic workplace environment to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving economic and business goals of the UAE, longer reliant on oil. However, the effect the internationalization process has on higher education institutions and academics’ workplace learning in the UAE has not been extensively addressed. Accordingly, this chapter aims broadly to: (a) examine the definition and rationale behind the internationalization of higher education programs in the UAE; and (b) use such a conceptual framework to provide a deeper insight into the motives, opportunities, and implications the internationalization movement might have on higher education institutions and academics’ workplace learning in the UAE.