Students during the orientation event at an Abu Dhabi University campus. WAM

Imran Mojib, Special Correspondent

The Abu Dhabi University (ADU) officially kicked off the 2019-2020 academic year, welcoming over 7,350 new and returning students across its campuses in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Al Ain following a range of enhancements and improvements to the facilities.

Running from Sept. 8-14, the University’s annual week-long orientation for freshmen is already underway to provide new students with a comprehensive understanding of the institution’s facilities and extracurricular activities.

Addressing students, Professor Philip Hamill, ADU’s Associate Provost of Student Success, said that the university has invested in its academic and recreational facilities to make student’s academic and social experience as enjoyable as possible.

“This academic year we have a diverse and packed calendar of academic, cultural, social and extracurricular activities in store. Get involved in as many activities as possible. This is a unique period in your life. Make the most of all that ADU has to offer. You will make new friends for life. Have fun and develop important transferable skills which are valued by employers, we are committed to being a vibrant university making a significant contribution to developing the UAE’s knowledge economy,” he said.

Professor Hamill said the introductory sessions are an opportunity for incoming students to meet with classmates and faculty from their respective colleges, allowing them to start their journey with the ADU community. This will complement the holistic learning experience students while at ADU.

The University’s comprehensive Week of Welcome orientation program includes a First Year Experience Programme that enables new students to learn about the different departments at ADU and how they can benefit from them. This is followed by a welcome session dedicated to international students, several student affairs receptions, a sports and wellness facilities tour, introductory session to student housing, a cultural tour of the city, and a series of athletic tournaments Students will also be invited to attend many events including the annual Global Day and Alumni Homecoming, which represent the University’s student-first approach.

The expanding University has consistently ranked amongst the top universities in the region for student body diversity, with a student community comprised of more than 82 nationalities. With 50 undergraduate and postgraduate programs across six colleges, the majority of students are enrolled in the College of Engineering, the UAE’s biggest engineering college.

The University has recently launched the new College of Health Sciences which offers five bachelor’s degree programs including Public Health and Environmental Health and Safety and opened applications for three new Bachelor degree programmes including as well as Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Molecular and Medical Genetics and Biomedical Sciences: Laboratory Medicine, which are pending CAA approval.

Abu Dhabi University is the largest private university in the UAE with four Colleges offering over 40 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, campuses in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai and Al Dhafra Region, and multiple affiliations with globally renowned institutions.

Established in 2003, Abu Dhabi University is structured into Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, Law and the University College, the varsity offers undergraduate and graduate programs across arts, law, education, business and management, engineering and sciences, including to trainees and personnel of the UAE military.

Last year, Abu Dhabi University, ADU, was named among top 30 universities in the Arab world, according to the 2019 QS Arab Region University Rankings.

In addition to the overall ranking, ADU had also scored highly on several performance indicators including faculty members holding a PhD, international faculty and international students, reflecting the university’s quality of faculty as well as its efforts to nurture a growing and diverse student population. Alongside research outputs, ADU’s employer reputation score continues to rise.