SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT - UAE Interact

240 U N I T E D A R A B E M I R AT E S Y E A R B O O K 2 0 0 8support of Dh5.4 million to ZIC. In return, ZU will offer educationalservices, academic support and consultation, together withtraining and developmental programmes and scholarships forKHDA stakeholders.The ‘Women as Global Leaders’ conference organised by ZU atEmirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi is but one of a number ofprogrammes run by the University to ensure that their studentsare well-prepared to actively participate in society. The secondconference in 2006 attracted more than 1200 delegates from 87countries. The third such forum will be held in Dubai in 2008.HIGHER COLLEGES OF TECHNOLOGYA system of UAE colleges offering a more technically orientededucation was devised in 1988. The four founding Higher Collegesof Technology (HCTs) commenced the new experiment with anenrolment of 239 students. Today, 12 men's and women's collegesin Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, Ra’s al-Khaimah, Sharjah andFujairah provide a diversity of programmes to over 15,000students in modern, technologically equipped campuses. Newcolleges and facilities are being added to the list on a regularbasis, one of the most recent being the impressive, digitallyaware Dubai Men's College at Academic City in Al Ruwayyah. Inaddition, the third phase of the Dubai Women's College (DWC)campus was opened in March 2007.In line with government strategy of forging links with respectedinternational institutions, HCT signed a MoU in September 2007with the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) establishing along-term NYAS–HCT partnership that would facilitate transfer oftechnology and create a UAE academy of sciences within theHCT campus.CERTThe HCTs commercial arm, The Centre of Excellence for AppliedResearch and Training (Cert), which was founded in 1997 and isnow the largest private education provider in the region, pridesitself on responding quickly and effectively to current needs in theregional and international work place, providing professional