The internationalization of higher education in the UAE and the implications for undergraduate students’ institutional choice for postgraduate studies

Higher education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has expanded significantly over the previous two decades, largely shaped by the dynamics of internationalization. The higher education sector in the UAE includes federal/regional governments, and domestic and foreign private institutions. This study, conducted in 2016, aims to explore the implications of the internationalization of higher education for students’ institutional choice at postgraduate level. I collected quantitative data from 160 students and qualitative data from 40 students, all of whom were undertaking undergraduate programmes in the UAE. The results of the study indicate undergraduate students had mixed reasons for choosing an institution for their postgraduate studies; however, these reasons were more specific in relation to foreign universities and universities offering foreign curricula, including the presence of international faculty members, the opportunity to study foreign curricula, to gain international/joint degrees and the belief that these institutions offered greater global opportunities. This study highlights the potential challenges for federal and non-federal public institutions in attracting postgraduate students, particularly international students. In addition, the study indicates that the emergence of foreign and private higher education institutions in the UAE enhances the quality of higher education by raising competition between institutions

Business · Competition (biology · Curriculum · Higher education · Institution · International trade · Internationalization · Internationalization of Higher Education · Medical education · Political science · Public relations · Quality (philosophy · Higher Education Governance and Development · Medicine · Socioeconomic Development in MENA