MoHESR : Institutional licensing does not authorise new universities to offer academic programmes

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) has clarified that obtaining an institutional licence does not automatically permit universities to offer, advertise, or promote any academic programmes. During discussions at the inaugural forum of the "Future of Higher Education Dialogues" series, held in Abu Dhabi, MoHESR officials emphasized the difference between institutional licensing and programme accreditation.

A university's licence alone does not grant it the authority to provide any academic programmes; rather, the accreditation process through the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) must be completed before an institution can offer or enrol students in a programme. It is crucial for students and parents to verify the accreditation status of a programme separately, rather than assuming it is valid based on the institution's licensing status.

Dr. Ahmed Al Shuaibi, Undersecretary at MoHESR, announced the forthcoming national framework for university classification, which aims to evaluate university performance, oversee operations, and strengthen confidence in higher education institutions, their programmes, and outcomes. This new system addresses four key gaps, including inconsistency in licensing requirements, the absence of a clear fee schedule, inconsistent handling of violations, and a lack of explicit student protection provisions.

The new framework establishes a unified national licensing system, published fees, financial guarantees, and a graduated system of penalties for violations, with student protection as a core principle.