RRU opens first campus in Ras Al Khaimah

Leading Canadian public university, Royal Roads University (RRU), has established its first international branch campus in Ras Al Khaimah as first campus in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

The official inauguration ceremony marked a significant milestone with the aim of expanding access to world-class Canadian post-secondary education throughout the region.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by dignitaries including Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Sharjah Consultative Council and Former UAE Minister, and Tracy Reynolds, Consul General of Canada to the UAE, alongside Dr Philip Steenkamp, President and Vice-Chancellor of Royal Roads University, Dr William Holmes, Professor of the School of Leadership and Management at RRU, Vinit Rughani, Director of BIG Education Group, Nirmal Shah, Director of BIG Education Group, Dr Alastair Summerlee, Chair & CEO The Ottawa Education Group and Harry Sharma, President and COO, The Ottawa Education Group.

The event commenced with the national anthems of the UAE and Canada, symbolising the strong bilateral ties and collaborative spirit behind this initiative.

Dr Philip Steenkamp, Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Tracy Reynolds, Dr William Holmes, Dr Alastair Summerlee, and Vinit Rughani unveiled a symbolic plaque to formally mark the campus’s opening.

In his address, Dr Philip Steenkamp highlighted RRU’s commitment to applied learning and its vision for developing future leaders through its unique learning, teaching, and research model.

Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi spoke on the campus’s significance for the UAE’s educational landscape, and Tracy Reynolds emphasised the importance of Canadian transnational education.

The ceremony also included an address from Hussein AL Shamaa, Director Licensing & Compliance, Ras Al Khaimah Department of Knowledge, underscoring their vision & support extended to RRU.

A highlight of the event was a student address by Hermela Alemu Tolcha, an inaugural student from Ethiopia enrolled in one of RRU RAK’s bachelor’s programmes, who shared her aspirations for studying at the new campus.

The programme also featured an insightful fireside interactive session titled, “Building Future Leaders – The Vision of RRU-RAK,” moderated by Lameen Abdul-Malik, a Nobel Peace Prize Winner (2005), with Dr Philip Steenkamp.

The discussion explored strategies for developing leaders in the context of the region.

The ceremony concluded with closing remarks by Dr Maurey Bond, Dean of the Royal Roads University RAK Campus, acknowledging all attendees and partners. This was followed by a networking lunch reception, which provided guests with an opportunity for further engagement.

The Royal Roads University Ras Al Khaimah campus will offer a range of applied, professional graduate and undergraduate programmes tailored to the evolving needs of students and industries in the UAE and broader MENA region.

These include its premier MBA and BBA degrees, now available locally to deliver Canadian business excellence.