Higher Colleges of Technology

The Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) (Arabic: كليّات التقنيّة العليا) is a public institute of technology with 16 campuses and facilities throughout the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1988 by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al-Nahyan, it is the largest applied higher educational institution in the country.

For the university in Oman, see Higher College of Technology.

Higher Colleges of Technology
كليّات التقنيّة العليا
TypeFederal
Established1988
Academic staff
1164
Administrative staff
948
Students23,000
Location
16 separate campuses[lower-alpha 1]
across the United Arab Emirates
Colours
  • White
  • red
  • green
  • black
MascotFalcon
Websitewww.hct.ac.ae

During the 2020–2021 academic year, there were 14,889 female and 7,333 male students enrolled at 16 campuses and six academic divisions throughout the country.[1] More than 71,000 UAE nationals are graduates of the institution.[2] It has issued over 92,000 credentials to graduates since 1991.

The HCT has formal alliances with a number of international tertiary education and training institutions, and corporate partnerships with local and multinational companies. Some programs have international accreditation: for example, the HCT's Bachelor of Education degree was developed with, and is certified by the University of Melbourne.[3]

HCT is the first educational institution in the UAE to be named as an economic free zone, as declared in the Fifty-Year Charter of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. It is one of the first six higher education institutions in the world to receive accreditation from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), UK’s global leader in quality assurance for higher education.

The CERT (Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training) is the commercial arm of the Higher Colleges of Technology, developing and providing education, training and applied technology for public and private sector clients, since 1996.[4]

The HCT Chancellor is H.E. Dr. Abdulrahman Abdulmannan Al Awar, UAE Minister of Human Resources & Emiratization. Dr Tayeb A. Kamali was appointed as the Vice Chancellor in June 2005. Mohammed Omran Al Shamsi was made President of the Higher Colleges in 2013, an appointment that carried Ministerial rank.[5] On March 17, 2015 Abdullatif M. Al Shamsi was appointed as HCT Vice Chancellor, by Federal Decree. He was subsequently appointed to the role of HCT President & CEO.[6] In September 2022, Dr. Faisal Al Ayyan was appointed as HCT President & CEO.

History

In 1985, H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University, made a commitment to establish a new system of post-secondary education for UAE Nationals that would stress the ideals of productivity, self-determination, and excellence.[7]

In 1988, Federal Law No 2 established the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT).[8]

Campuses

The Higher Colleges of Technology has 16 campuses across the UAE, with separate male and female campuses located in the cities of Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, Madinat Zayed, Ras Al Khaimah, Ruwais and Sharjah. In August 2023, it opened a new campus in Baniyas, Abu Dhabi, replacing its campuses located in Abu Dhabi city.

Ras Al Khaimah Women's campus

Ras Al Khaimah Women's campus (RKW) has over 1800 students[9] and offers a wide variety of business and technical courses for Emirati women in Ras Al Khaimah.

The HCT-Sharjah Men's and Women's campuses

The HCT-Sharjah campuses are two of the 16 colleges that compose the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Sharjah Women's campus (SJW) was established in 1997[10] and the Sharjah Men's campus (SJM) in 1998.[11]

The current Executive Director of the Sharjah campuses is Dr. Khaled Al Hammadi.[11]

Madinat Zayed and Ruwais campuses

New campuses were opened in 2007 for both men and women in the Al Dhafrah region of the Abu Dhabi Emirate in the cities of Madinat Zayed and Ruwais. The current Executive Director of the Madinat Zayed and Ruwais campuses is Abdu Rahman Al Jahoushi.[12]

Initiatives
  • It created a 3D Printed Ventilator Splitter for treating multiple patients with a single ventilator in hospitals’ Intensive Care Units.[13]
  • It launched the UAE’s first Artificial Intelligence Academy, with the National Program for Artificial intelligence.[14]
  • It became the UAE’s first approved university economic free zone with the inauguration of the HCT InnCuVation Spaces.[15]
  • Agreed with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MOHRE) to provide training and upskilling for 18,000 Emirati students through the National Training Program.[16]
  • It became the UAE’s first government higher education institution to obtain 100% accreditation of its academic programs, through the UAE's Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA).[17]

Notes
  1. Located in the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, Fujairah, Madinat Zayed, Ras Al Khaimah, Ruwais and Sharjah.

References
  1. "Enrollments By Academic Division & Gender" (PDF). HCT Factbook. Higher Colleges of Technology. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  2. Swan, Melanie (10 November 2011). "HCT helps fill workforce gap". The National. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
  3. "Higher Colleges of Technology". Hct.ac.ae. 16 September 2010. Archived from the original on 23 August 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  4. "Higher Colleges of Technology". Hct.ac.ae. 17 June 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  5. "محمد حسن عمران.. متابعة نهضة التعليم العالي - عبر الإمارات - تعليم - البيان". www.albayan.ae (in Arabic). 15 April 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  6. "Higher Colleges of Technology will kick off 2021 with the launch of its third accelerator programme - Higher Colleges of Technology". hct.ac.ae. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  7. http://www.hct.ac.ae/about/overview/
  8. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "Ras al Khaimah Women's College - Higher Colleges of Technology". Archived from the original on 7 September 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  10. "Sharjah Women's College". Higher College of Technology.
  11. "Sharjah Men's College". Higher College of Technology.
  12. "Madinat Zayed Colleges". Higher Colleges of Technology.
  13. Weqaya. "HCT develops and manufactures 3D Printed Ventilator Splitter in UAE's Fight Against Coronavirus". Weqaya. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  14. "AI skills academy launched to empower Emiratis". CERT - Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training - Higher Colleges of Technology. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  15. "Shaikh Hamdan launches Dubai university free zones strategy". gulfnews.com. 9 March 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  16. "News | Media Center | Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation". www.mohre.gov.ae. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  17. "HCT Leads Way CAA Accreditation For All 71 Academic Programs - Higher Colleges of Technology". hct.ac.ae. Retrieved 26 January 2021.

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