ABU DHABI, 1st November, 2023 (WAM) — In partnership with Times Higher Education (THE), NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) will host the THE MENA Universities Summit 2023 in the UAE from 13th-15th November ahead of COP28.

Themed “Innovation in Times of Change”, the Summit will highlight the contribution of universities to sustainability, the impact of AI on teaching, and higher education’s vital long-term role in supporting the COP agenda.

The THE Awards MENA 2023 winners will also be announced, celebrating the very best stories in higher education, and providing an exciting opportunity to showcase the inspirational work taking place in the region’s universities.

NYUAD Vice Chancellor Mariët Westermann commented, “We are very pleased to host the THE MENA Universities Summit 2023 at NYU Abu Dhabi. The theme, ‘Innovation in Times of Change’, is aligned with our mission to educate and empower youth, conduct research to help tackle the world’s challenges, and drive innovation that improves our societies and the environment. Ahead of COP28, this conference will underline the value of collaboration to achieve innovative and sustainable problem-solving in higher education, and discuss how universities today can best equip future generations to have the greatest positive impact.”

Nick Davis, President, Middle East and Africa, THE, commented, “We are delighted to be bringing the MENA Universities Summit back to the UAE for the first time since 2016. Working with NYU Abu Dhabi is always a pleasure, but the enthusiasm and creativity their team have brought to bring together this event has been enviable. This year’s MENA Universities Summit will congregate a diverse range of delegates from across the university, corporate and government sectors and will recognise excellence from institutions across the region, seeing the release of the third edition of the Arab University Rankings including an updated methodology, and the launch of the first-ever THE Awards MENA.”

Speakers at the event include Zaki Nusseibeh, Cultural Adviser to the UAE President and Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU); President of the American University in Cairo Ahmed Dallal; Provost at Heriot-Watt University Dubai Professor Dame Heather McGregor; President of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Toyin Tofade; and President of Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence Eric Xing, and many more regional education leaders to be announced.

These influential education leaders in higher education will emphasize the promotion of innovation, agility, and strong national and regional collaboration, fuelling the region’s drive towards incorporating sustainability and equity across all aspects of a higher education institution’s outlook and long-term strategy. In doing so, the THE MENA Universities Summit will reflect the commitment of regional universities to positively influence the future, by highlighting the future of their research, and their graduates, and efforts to contribute to the aims of COP28.