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The University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) has launched its first postgraduate course in logistics to increase the skillsbase of people working within the industry, explains Cedwyn Fernandes, the university's chair of graduate studies.

When did the University of Wollongong in Dubai decide to launch its Master of Science programme in logistics?

We actually launched an initiative back in 2004 to align the university's educational programmes with the strategic thrust of the United Arab Emirates, in particular Dubai. The initiative focused on three key areas - logistics, finance and tourism. We have since introduced postgraduate programmes in strategic marketing, human resources, applied finance, engineering management, information technology and most recently a Master of Science in logistics.

What prompted the university to select logistics as a key topic area?

The GCC Custom Union, which was operationalised in 2003, boosted the status of Dubai as the preferred destination for companies to establish their supply chain and logistics operations. The emirate has state-of-the-art port facilities in Jebel Ali, Dubai Customs is the most efficient in the region and JAFZA is the leading free zone in the world. Furthermore, once fully developed, Dubai World Central will reinforce the emirate's position as a regional superhub for logistics. As a result, the demand for skilled logisticians will significantly increase and the UOWD will be ideally placed to provide education and training.

The UAE Ministry of Higher Education has officially approved the logistics programme. What did this process involve?

The ministry's accreditation process is rigorous and helps to enhance the quality of our programmes. Initially, when a university wants to offer a new programme, it submits an accreditation document that includes the course structure, goals, evaluation and admission criteria, in addition to a feasibility study, faculty details and other information. The Commission for Academic Accreditation at the ministry reviews the application and selects a team of prominent professors from universities in the USA and UK to form a visiting committee. This team spends a specific period of time on campus to meet the faculty, discuss the course with the programme chair and suggest amendments to improve the curriculum. Once all of the requirements have been met, the programme is approved and can be offered to potential students.

When is the university planning to enrol its first students on the logistics programme?

The Master of Science in logistics will commence in the spring semester, which begins on 16th January 2008. Most of our postgraduate students are working professionals who have considerable work experience to bring to the classroom and formalise their knowledge through the course. The student population at UOWD is truly multi-cultural. At the postgraduate level, we have approximately 30% Emiratis, 30% Arab nationals, 30% Indian subcontinent nationals and 10% other nationalities.

What topics will be covered in the logistics programme?

The course is normally four semesters in length and consists of six core subjects, including supply chain management, logistics system management, inventory management, logistics information systems, quantitative methods for decision making and strategic supply chain management, which is a capstone subject.

How will the logistics industry in the Middle East benefit from such a course?

The logistics industry and the university will be partners in this venture. The industry will benefit through upgrading the skills of its professionals and personnel. The students at our university come from a range of industries and will be able to learn from each other's experiences. The university will be at the forefront of facilitating the industry-academic links and will benefit from this interaction too.

How will you differentiate yourself from other logistics related education programmes in the region?

A few courses in logistics have been on offer in the United Arab Emirates, however these programmes are transplanted from home campuses and are taught on an intensive basis. I don't subscribe to the view that an entire subject can be covered in three days.
At UOWD each subject is delivered over ten weeks of classes, and ample time and opportunity is provided for students to fully and actively participate in class, thus developing their critical thinking abilities and benefiting from a measured and prolonged exposure to key concepts, skills as well as the experience of their colleagues.

With the course now finalised, is the university planning to build its portfolio of logistics related courses?

UOWD is currently in negotiations with a leading 3PL company to establish a research centre, which will be designed to facilitate research in supply chain and logistics issues relevant to the Middle East. In addition to this, certificates of proficiency in specific areas of supply chain and logistics, including inventory management, warehousing, procurement and supply chain management will be on offer in the coming year.

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