Al Ain-based College of Information Technology (CIT), part of the UAE University, has set educational standards that are not only on par with international institutes, but are also reinforcing the emerging trends in the world of education. Computer News Middle East had the opportunity of meeting the management and visiting the premises to find out more.

Businesses use technology to increase productivity and profits, but the impact of technology is extending to the knowledge industry as well. The benefits of technology today hold immense potential for the education sector and a lot of this is reflecting in the learning process itself.

Among the first ones in the region to draw up an extensive IT investment plan for the college, CIT boats of structure and curriculum that has been whetted by renowned IT experts.

The college sets itself apart even by its very design. Built and planned with a view to bring down the traditional walls that separate departments within a college, there are no stops today to collaboration.

Ambitious reality

Funding world class education initiative is on top of the priority chart for the UAE Federal government. According to industry figures, in 2007 the country's national budget had education on top of the agenda. In 2007, the federal government earmarked around 33% of the budget in order to develop education. According to the UAE Yearbook 2007, in 2006, 95% of females and 80% males in their final school year applied for admission to a higher education provider in the UAE or left to study abroad.

This development has opened up a 'world of opportunities' in the higher education landscape. And CIT wants to offer Emirati students to receive world class education within UAE.

Having embarked on one of its most ambitious projects, CIT is set to deliver education in the laboratory and in the classroom on a scale not seen before, both in breadth and depth. To do that, it has acquired over 20 of the most cutting edge laboratories in the world, including over a thousand pieces of equipment. It has designed its laboratories to maximize student learning, eliminating the need for traditional classrooms altogether for teaching IT -- all teaching is done in the laboratory.

The laboratories include a 8.3 T-Flop super grid computer, that is touted to be the fastest in the region. The laboratories also include the very latest in interactive humanoid technology (robots that look like people) enabling students to perform experiments in speech recognition, vision and motion capture. Six laboratories dedicated to IT security provide the students hands-on experience in security systems ranging from intrusion detection to biometrics. Five laboratories dedicated to the field of networking provide the students the opportunity to learn wireless networks, VOIP and other exciting new concepts in networking. A Human Computer Interaction laboratory provides the students with the capability to experiment how people react to different internet presentation media. This laboratory is also important to gauge the impact of computing media on the learning potential of special needs children.

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