Khalifa University, an internationally-ranked research-intensive university located in Abu Dhabi, has partnered with New York Stock Exchange-listed online learning platform Coursera Inc to making content from its courses accessible to learners worldwide.
As the UAE prepares the next generation of talent for the modern workforce, equipping learners with in-demand skills remains a high priority.
Khalifa University will launch six Specialisations on Coursera in the second half of 2022, including Machine Learning and Deep Learning Methods: From Data to Decisions; Artificial Intelligence for Executives; and Introduction to Digital Design FPGA Based Training.
The university will also offer courses targeted to a broader audience, including Arabic for Beginners and Online Course Development Processes.
These courses have been carefully curated to align with the skills development agendas of the UAE and broader Middle East region.
The senior vice president for Academic and Student Services at Khalifa University, Dr Ahmed Al Shoaibi, said: “We are excited to join forces with Coursera to equip learners in the region, and beyond, with the essential digital skills they need to contribute to the accelerating knowledge economy.”
Coursera has doubled its number of university partners in the Middle East with the addition of Khalifa University, alongside Al Faisal University, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST).
Coursera currently serves the needs of more than 5.5 million learners in the Middle East, and offers a continuously expanding catalogue of world-class content, which currently includes over 2,000 courses in Arabic.
The company’s right-to-left functionalities make navigating Coursera in Arabic a more seamless experience for enterprise learners.
These features enhance readability across the company’s homepage, search and browse, assessments, grades, notes, transcripts, and e-mails.
The chief content officer at Coursera, Betty Vandenbosch, said: “Learners in the region have embraced online learning at a greater pace since the beginning of the pandemic — over 1.4 million new Middle Eastern learners enrolled across the region in 2021.
“By expanding our range of partnerships with some of the region’s pioneers in higher education, we look forward to continuing to deliver transformational, relevant learning to everyone.”