Founded in 2007 by a decree issued by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Khalifa University was established in an effort to support a knowledge-based economy that will contribute to the state's post-oil future.[5]
In the 2022 Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings, Khalifa University placed as the 37th best university in Asia.[7] In September 2018, Khalifa University was ranked 1st in the UAE and 2nd in the Arab region by the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2019.[8]
In March 2023, Khalifa University’s Petroleum Engineering department was ranked 8th in the world by the 2023 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject – Engineering and Technology.[9]
History
Originally established in 1989 as the Etisalat College of Engineering (ECE), the school's main campus was built in Sharjah, and aimed to supply the Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) with technologically trained workers.[10]
Khalifa University's current president, Sir John O’Reilly, was appointed in June 2022.[11] As of 2023, KU faculty and staff come from over 50 countries, and its student body is internationally diverse and co-educational.[12][13]
Also in 2019 it launched Emirates Nuclear Technology Centre in collaboration with Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation.[15] That same year Khalifa University students won first position in electric Grand Prix, and second position in the Hybrid Electric categories at the Global Hybrid Electric Challenge in UAE (GHEC-UAE) 2019. Two student teams also won awards for Best Sportsmanship, Best Workmanship, Best Technical Report, Best Presentation, Best Technical Innovation, and for Best Usage of 3D-Printing.[15]
Khalifa University has committed a funding outlay of AED160 million over a five-year period for projects under the scope of the AI Institute (later renamed Robotics and Intelligent Systems Institute).[16]
In 2020, it also launched initiatives in building talent and human capital in AI: Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Systems Institute, AI Institute; a Programme in Artificial Intelligence; and the Mohammed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge, MBZIRC, held in February 2020.[17][18]
In 2023 within the framework of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed earlier to establish academic cooperation in developing aeronautical education and related research in the UAE, Khalifa University of Science and Technology and Dassault Aviation of France announced they are collaborating on a research project that focuses on developing two new material technologies for aerospace applications with potential for patenting and commercialization.[19]
Naval Group and Khalifa University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in innovative research fields for naval and maritime applications in the United Arab Emirates.[20]
Organization
Khalifa University offers 16 undergraduate degrees through its College of Engineering:[21]
B.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering
B.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering
B.Sc. in Civil Engineering
B.Sc. in Computer Engineering (with optional concentration in Software Systems)
B.Sc. in Industrial and Systems Engineering
B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering
B.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering
B.Sc. in Petroleum Geosciences
B.Sc. in Chemistry
B.Sc. in Cell and Molecular Biology
B.Sc. in Earth and Planetary Sciences
B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering
B.Sc. in Computer Science
B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering
B.Sc. in Applied Mathematics and Statistics
B.Sc. in Physics
Postgraduate programs of study under the College of Engineering:[22]
M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering
Space Systems and Technology
Guidance, Navigation, and Control Systems
M.Sc. in Computer Science
Space Systems and Technology
Artificial Intelligence
M.Sc. in Computational Data Science
Computational Systems
Data Analytics
M.Sc in Chemical Engineering
Food Process Engineering and Technology
Metallurgical Engineering
M.Sc in Civil and Infrastructural Engineering
M.Sc in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Space Systems and Technology
M.Sc in Engineering Systems and Management
Technology Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Space Systems and Technology
Complex Systems Acquisition and Management
M.Sc in Cyber Security
M.Sc in Materials Science and Engineering
Space Systems and Technology
Metallurgical Engineering
M.Sc in Mechanical Engineering
Space Systems and Technology
M.Sc. in Nuclear Engineering
M.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering
M.Sc. in Sustainable Critical Infrastructure
M.Sc. in Water and Environmental Engineering
Water and Environmental Technologies
Water and Environmental Resources
M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering
M.Sc. in Health, Safety and Environmental Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering
Aerospace Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Civil Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Engineering Systems and Management
Material Science and Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Nuclear Engineering (offered to UAE and Saudi Nationals only)
Petroleum Engineering
Robotics
Postgraduate programs of study under the College of Arts and Sciences:
M.A. in International and Civil Security (offered to UAE Nationals only)
M.Sc. in Applied Chemistry
M.Sc. in Petroleum Geosciences
M.Sc. in Medical Physics
M.Sc. in Molecular Life Sciences
M.Sc. in Applied Mathematics
PhD in Chemistry
PhD in Physics
PhD in Mathematics
PhD in Earth Sciences
PhD in Molecular Life Sciences
Postgraduate programs of study under the College of Medicine and Health Sciences:
Doctor of Medicine (MD)
International & Civil Security
Distinct in the Gulf,[23] Khalifa University's Institute for International and Civil Security (IICS) seeks to "produce research which will strengthen the security of the UAE in a way that is responsive to the needs of national and global security decision-makers ... enabling the programme to make major contributions that enhance regional, international and human security."[24][25] The IICS's director is Professor Joel Hayward, "a world authority on international conflict and strategy".[26]
Accreditation
The three original undergraduate B.Eng. (Hons.) degree programs offered by Khalifa University (Communication, Computer, and Electronic Engineering) have been awarded accreditation by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).[27]
Academic partnership
In recent years, KU has established a number of international academic and research partnerships. They include associations with the Georgia Institute of Technology,[28]Texas A&M University Nuclear Security Science & Policy Institute,[28] and KAIST. In April 2011, Khalifa University signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Bristol to establish and create the Visual Signal Analysis and Processing (VSAP) research centre at the university's Abu Dhabi campus.
On December 8, 2019 Khalifa University, the University of Milan and the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa signed an agreement to set up a joint lab for embodied artificial intelligence ( AI) in Abu Dhabi.[29]
In 2022, Khalifa and Manchester Universities launched a partnership in the field of graphene innovation. [30][31]
Campuses
Khalifa University has two campuses in Abu Dhabi – the Main Campus and the Sas Al Nakhl Campus.
The KU Main Campus is located on Abu Dhabi Island. At Main Campus, the central administration for the University is located and all general education courses are taught. It has 135,000 square meters and houses 105 laboratories, including aerospace and underwater robotics labs, 72 classrooms, sports center, retail and food outlets, and multi-story parking.[6]
A campus extension was completed in 2016 with a new building that won the award for best Cultural and Institutional Project at the 2015 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Interior Design and Architecture Awards.[32][33] It also has one library, a clinic, a student hub with a dining room, and numerous cafes and restaurants.[13] The Sas Al Nakhl Campus hosts the ADNOC Research and Innovation Center (ADRIC), a research facility comprising 39 labs covering reservoir rock characterization and reservoir fluid characterization.[34] It has student residences, exercise rooms, sports courts and fields, dining facility, cafeterias, two libraries, Independent Learning Center (ILC). The campus also has First Aid Clinics.
Student life
Khalifa University's campus student newsletter is KU TIMES, which is published once a month.[35] Students can also participate in various clubs and academic organizations ranging from student government to the sports club.[36]
Scholarship
Some of the scholarships that the university offers include;[37]
Khalifa University is placed 181st in QS World Universities Ranking 2023. [4]
Khalifa University’s Petroleum Engineering department is ranked 8th in the world by the 2023 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject – Engineering and Technology.[9]
Khalifa University is ranked 5th in the Times Higher Education Arab University Rankings 2022.[43]
Khalifa University is ranked 37th in the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2022.[44]
Khalifa University is ranked 21st in the Times Higher Education Emerging Economies University Rankings 2022. [45]
