Education System

RAK's strong economic development and the resulting increase in both the national population and the expatriate community have increased local demand for secondary education. Enrollment in private high schools for the 2007/08 academic year was 13,939 pupils, an increase of 20.6% over the previous academic year. Total enrollment in government schools totaled 30,965 pupils in 2007/08. This is in addition to the regionally recognized RAK English Speaking School (RAKESS). Founded in 1975, RAKESS offers an international curriculum to students from 2 to 18 years of age. Its new state of the art campus was completed in 2005.

When Sheikh Saud assumed executive functions in 2003, part of his vision for developing the emirate was to boost the quality of higher education built around cooperation with top American institutions. The government formed a joint-stock company - RAK Education (EDRAK) to establish a campus of an American university in the Emirate. It entered into a partnership with Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy that gave local students access to the prestigious university. Meanwhile, the University of Ras Al Khaimah, created by royal decree, is a partnership between the government and the RAK Investment and Development Office. It offers programs accredited by George Mason University.

India's Bharati Vidyapeeth University (BVU) recently joined the growing list of educational institutions that have established campuses at the RAK Free Trade Zone Authority (RAK FTZA). The university accommodates 120 students in its bachelor of business administration course and degree programs. Other institutions that have opted for the free zone include the University of Bolton and the Vatel International Business School for Hotel and Tourism Management. The University of Bolton's RAK campus started with a total of 14 programs across four academic departments, which include engineering, business, logistics and computing.

The University of Pune (UoP), one of India's top ranked state universities, has also announced plans to set up a campus in RAK. It will start by first offering MBA and executive MBA courses. Afterwards, it plans to introduce other bachelor's and masters programs in sciences, management, engineering, pharmacy and other subjects. Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), a leading institution for science and technology in Europe, is opening its first campus outside Switzerland with a minimum investment of $86m., a figure that could rise substantially depending on the research facilities required. The campus started a post-graduate program in September 2009 that focused on environmental and energy supply research. A master's degree program is planned for 2010.

"Free Trade Zone" for Education
The Emirate plans to concentrate its universities in what it calls an "education free zone." The plan is to invest $1bn to create an education park spread over five million square meters. Construction is already under way, and the entire project is slated for completion by 2015. The first institutions can move in by 2010. The "free trade zone" currently has a student population of about 2500. Equipping students with the skills required by the aviation, tourism and hospitality industries, all of which the emirate is aiming to develop, will be a primary goal of the new education zone.

The government-operated HCT, which includes 16 colleges across the UAE, opened its campus 16 years ago in RAK with both a men's and women's college, and has continuously adapted its programs to meet the needs of the local economy in tourism and engineering.

Both The RAK Medical and Health Sciences University moved to a new campus in February 2009 near RAK Hospital and Sheikh Saqr Hospital. The new 56,000 square meter campus houses the colleges of nursing, medical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences and administrative offices. At present, the school has 230 students representing 30 nationalities, half from the UAE and the remainder from Gulf Cooperation Council member states, the US, UK and Canada, as well as Asian and African countries. The university's teaching staff hails from 25 different countries.

The medical college started its operations in October 2006 with its first group of bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery students. The university began bachelor of dental surgery, nursing and pharmacy programs after obtaining initial accreditation from the UAE's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in 2007. In 2008 it also added a registered nurse/bachelor of science in nursing to its offerings.