Job Discussion Forums

saloma · Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 211

A friend and I were discussing segregation in UAE Universities and were wondering how things are done.

How are students kept apart? Are all the universities arranged into separate campuses for the sexes? Are there any that are co-ed? How are the buildings arranged? Or has the Emirates moved on so that the universities are co-ed these days?

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

The only university that I know for sure is co-ed is the American University in Sharjah. Someone else will have to let you know if any of the other private universities are co-ed.

The government systems are all segregated... on separate campuses - sometimes the buildings are nearby... sometimes across town. But at most of them, the teachers are both sexes.

VS

Iamherebecause · Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 10:30 am Post subject:

UAEU is segregated but the new campus (opening August 2008 .... well that was the plan) is supposed to be for male and female students but with separate entrances. The Faculty of Medicine is one building but with 2 entrances, 2 lots of classrooms, and much of the teaching duplicated. There's only one library though - it has 2 circulation desks but only 1 set of bookstacks.

There are way more female students than male and for some courses segregation is not an issue - the males are not interested.

anaxiforminges · Joined: 15 Apr 2009 Posts: 136 Location: UAE

VS is right. AUS is quite keen to promote the fact that it's the first (and, to date, the only) coeducational institution in the Gulf. Within the uni, none of the dress restrictions apply, from what I hear.

Pikgitina · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 420 Location: KSA

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 3:53 pm Post subject:

Pikgitina · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 420 Location: KSA

anaxiforminges · Joined: 15 Apr 2009 Posts: 136 Location: UAE

homeless vet · Joined: 01 Apr 2009 Posts: 80

We were a bit surprised when my husband got an offer to teach at the women's campus and I got an offer to teach at the men's campus. We thought it would be the other way around.

helenl · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 1202

All of the American Universities in Qatar are co-ed. CNA-Q in Qatar is co-ed but not the cafeterias. AUS is a pleasant campus, reminisent of what the "outside" world campuses are like.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

I just want to add the detail that in tertiary education, Oman is fully integrated, as were both Bahrain and Kuwait the last I heard. I know the local fundies in Kuwait have been pushing hard to segregate the university for years, but I haven't heard if it ever happened.

VS
(and anaxi... even if I were at AUS, I would dress the same way that I did at SQU or HCT or AUC... the students are still majority Muslim and it is Sharjah... to me it would be a mark of respect to dress conservatively.)

MissMao · Joined: 21 Apr 2007 Posts: 11

Abu Dhabi University is split entirely in two, the same architecture echoes on both sides. Guards sit at the doors in between sides and make sure the Emiratis don't cross over to the wrong side. This seems to be the only strong rule enforced at the university. The teachers,regardless of sex, however, can cross over no problem. But it did make navigation confusing at first.

I assumed it was the same at all universities, or is this abnormal to have both sexes on the same campus? Is UAEU the same? I know HCT have different campuses in Abu Dhabi. Saloma does this answer your question?

Afra · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Posts: 389

HCT does have some courses which are not segregated - paramedics, for example.

Tom Le Seelleur · Joined: 27 Dec 2007 Posts: 242

Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi is Co-ed. Sharjah campus will decide in the near future.