Culture & Education | Tuesday 13 June, 2017 4:06 am |

The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) has signed an agreement which sees the University of Limerick (UL) becoming the university’s first Irish partner.

The memorandum of understanding intends to stimulate intercultural activities and projects between the two universities, including study abroad and student exchange opportunities. This arrangement would allow students to take part in short-term study abroad programs, or a student exchange for a period of up to one year. The partnership also promotes faculty exchange and research collaboration.

 

Prof. Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, president of AURAK, commented, “Developing new partnerships with universities across the world is always exciting. This new partnership represents a wonderful opportunity for our students to study in Western Europe, and hope to receive students from Ireland who are interested in experiencing life in Ras Al Khaimah. I firmly believe in cross-cultural exchange and the wide range of mutual benefits that it brings.”

 

High-achieving AURAK students will also have the chance to benefit from a ‘three-plus-one-plus-one’ program, which would see them completing their final year of undergraduate study at UL, as well as a master’s degree.

 

Mr. Liam Ryan from UL’s international education division added, “We welcome the partnership with AURAK and the opportunities for collaboration that it brings. We hope to provide pathways for AURAK students to further their studies in Ireland while also sending Irish students to experience the academic and cultural life in Ras Al Khaimah.”

 

Dr. Richard Gauvain, dean of academic support services at AURAK, noted, “Study abroad experiences help students to contextualize and broaden their overall educational experiences. These days, I can think of no venue more culturally rewarding for our study abroad students than Limerick.”

 

The University of Limerick, which is based in the south-west of Ireland, is AURAK’s eighth European partner, alongside universities in England, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland and Spain. AURAK also has more than ten North American partners, as well as partner institutions in Asia and Africa.

 

A delegation from UL visited AURAK in February in order to meet representatives from AURAK’s School of Engineering. The school offers ten undergraduate programs, with the objective of having all of them accredited by ABET by 2020.