September 20, 2023

Celebrating 30 years in Dubai

From humble beginnings UOW in Dubai has grown into one of the UAE's most respected and prestigious universities.

When it first opened its doors in 1993, the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) had five staff members and eight students. From this humble beginning UOWD has grown to become one of the leading universities in the United Arab Emirates and a global success story for Australian education.

Today, UOWD has more than 300 staff and around 15,000 alumni drawn from more than 110 countries, and a purpose-built and innovative campus with room for 5,000 students.

A delegation from the University of Wollongong including Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Patricia Davidson, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Alex Frino, Global Brand Ambassador Adam Gilchrist and UOW Global Enterprises CEO Marisa Mastroianni is visiting Dubai on 21-22 September to celebrate the 30-year milestone.

Together with UOWD President Professor Mohamed Salem, they will meet staff and students and attend commemorative events before celebrating the success of the University’s graduates at the UOWD Alumni Awards.

“The University of Wollongong has been a trailblazer in taking top-class Australian education to the world and UOW Dubai is our greatest example of that. We’re so proud to be here celebrating its 30th anniversary,” Professor Davidson said.

“In 1993, UOW was the first Australian university to establish a campus in Dubai. It is now one of the United Arab Emirates’ most respected and prestigious universities.

“As we celebrate this milestone we also pay tribute to 30 years of incredible alumni from UOWD and celebrate their growth, stories and achievements.

“UOW's vision is to inspire a better future through education, research and partnership and there is no better way to demonstrate these values than through our wonderful alumni.

“I would also like to acknowledge the work of UOW Global Enterprises, including Chair John Green and CEO Marisa Mastroianni, and the entire team here at UOWD for their enormous contribution to helping get where we are today.” 

About the University of Wollongong, AUSTRALIA

The University of Wollongong is young, dynamic and innovative. We're proud to be among the top one per cent of universities in the world for our teaching and research, ranked 162nd globally in QS World University Rankings; 14th in the QS Top 50 Under 50 Rankings; and 61st in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

UOW has a strong international focus and reputation, with the biggest international campus operation among Australian universities. We deliver world-class teaching to more than 7,000 students offshore, including at our campuses in the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Malaysia, and teaching locations in China and Singapore.  Next year we will become one of the first international universities to open a teaching base in India.

UOW's students and staff are diverse, coming from more than 100 nations around the world. We share a culture that respects openness, inclusiveness, collegiality and diversity.