Higher Colleges of Technology

{{Short description|Educational institution in the United Arab Emirates}} {{For|the university in Oman|Higher College of Technology}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}} {{Infobox university | name = Higher Colleges of Technology | native_name = {{lang|ar|كليّات التقنيّة العليا}} | image = Higher Colleges of Technology HCT logo.png | caption = | motto = | established = 1988 | type = Federal | endowment = | rector = | chancellor = | president = | vice_chancellor = | principal = | head_label = | head = | students = 23,000 | undergrad = | postgrad = | doctoral = | free_label = | free = | colours = {{hlist|White|red|green|black}} | nickname = | mascot = Falcon | logo = Higher Colleges of Technology logo.svg | website = {{url|www.hct.ac.ae}} | administrative_staff = 948 | faculty = 1164 | location = {{longitem|style=line-height:1.35em |{{nowrap|16 separate campuses{{efn|Located in the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, Fujairah, Madinat Zayed, Ras Al Khaimah, Ruwais and Sharjah. }}<br />across the United Arab Emirates}} }} | affiliations = }}

The '''Higher Colleges of Technology''' ('''HCT''') ({{langx|ar|كليّات التقنيّة العليا}}) is a public institute of technology with 16 campuses and facilities throughout the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1988 by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al-Nahyan, it is the largest applied higher educational institution in the country.

During the 2020–2021 academic year, there were 14,889 female and 7,333 male students enrolled at 16 campuses and six academic divisions throughout the country.<ref>{{cite web |title=Enrollments By Academic Division & Gender |url=http://www.hct.ac.ae/files/HCT-Factbook-2012-2013-Enrollment-by-academic-division-and-gender.pdf |work=HCT Factbook |publisher=Higher Colleges of Technology |access-date=14 January 2013 |archive-date=10 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110140757/http://www.hct.ac.ae/files/HCT-Factbook-2012-2013-Enrollment-by-academic-division-and-gender.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> More than 71,000 UAE nationals are graduates of the institution.<ref name="Swan">{{cite news |last=Swan |first=Melanie |title=HCT helps fill workforce gap |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/education/hct-helps-fill-workforce-gap-1.417614/ |access-date=10 November 2011 |newspaper=The National |date=10 November 2011}}</ref>

The HCT has formal alliances with a number of international tertiary education and training institutions, and corporate partnerships with local and multinational companies. Some programs have international accreditation: for example, the HCT's Bachelor of Education degree was developed with, and is certified by the University of Melbourne.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hct.ac.ae/programs/aspx/education.aspx |title=Higher Colleges of Technology |publisher=Hct.ac.ae |date=2010-09-16 |access-date=2010-09-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100823213537/http://www.hct.ac.ae/programs/aspx/education.aspx |archive-date=23 August 2010}}</ref>

HCT is the first educational institution in the UAE to be named as an economic free zone, as declared in the Fifty-Year Charter of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai. It is one of the first six higher education institutions in the world to receive accreditation from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), UK’s global leader in quality assurance for higher [https://hct.ac.ae/en/ education].

The CERT (Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training) is the commercial arm of the Higher Colleges of Technology, developing and providing education, training and applied technology for public and private sector clients, since 1996.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hct.ac.ae/cert/aspx/cert.aspx |title=Higher Colleges of Technology |publisher=Hct.ac.ae |date=2010-06-17 |access-date=2010-09-27 |archive-date=12 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100112034159/http://www.hct.ac.ae/cert/aspx/cert.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The HCT Chancellor is Abdulrahman Abdulmannan Al Awar, UAE Minister of Human Resources & [https://uaecabinet.ae/en/details/cabinet-members/his-excellency-nasser-bin-thani-juma-al-hamli Emiratization]. Tayeb A. Kamali was appointed as the Vice Chancellor in June 2005. Mohammed Omran Al Shamsi was made President of the Higher Colleges in 2013, an appointment that carried Ministerial rank.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=محمد حسن عمران.. متابعة نهضة التعليم العالي - عبر الإمارات - تعليم - البيان|url=https://www.albayan.ae/across-the-uae/education/2013-04-16-1.1863516|access-date=2021-07-12|website=www.albayan.ae|date=15 April 2013 |language=ar}}</ref> On March 17, 2015 Abdullatif M. Al Shamsi was appointed as HCT Vice Chancellor, by Federal Decree. He was subsequently appointed to the role of HCT President & CEO.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Higher Colleges of Technology will kick off 2021 with the launch of its third accelerator programme - Higher Colleges of Technology |url=https://hct.ac.ae/ar/news/higher-colleges-of-technology-will-kick-off-2021-with-the-launch-of-its-third-accelerator-programme/ |access-date=18 April 2022 |website=hct.ac.ae |language=en-US}}</ref> In September 2022, Faisal Al Ayyan was appointed as HCT President & CEO.

HCT is accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), the UAE Federal Government's quality assurance agency for higher education.

== History ==

In 1985, Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University, made a commitment to establish a new system of post-secondary education for UAE Nationals that would stress the ideals of productivity, self-determination, and excellence.<ref>{{Cite web | title=HCT Overview - Higher Colleges of Technology | url=http://www.hct.ac.ae/about/overview/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520022852/http://www.hct.ac.ae:80/about/overview/ | access-date=2026-02-04 | archive-date=2011-05-20}}</ref>

In 1988, Federal Law No 2 established the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT).<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.hct.ac.ae/files/Decree_2_1988.pdf | title=Federal Law No 2 of the year 1988 | access-date=16 August 2011 | archive-date=31 March 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331073226/http://www.hct.ac.ae/files/Decree_2_1988.pdf | url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Campuses == The Higher Colleges of Technology has 16 campuses across the UAE, with separate male and female campuses located in the cities of Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, Madinat Zayed, Ras Al Khaimah, Ruwais and Sharjah. In August 2023, it opened a new campus in Baniyas, Abu Dhabi, replacing its campuses located in Abu Dhabi city.

===Ras Al Khaimah Women's campus === Ras Al Khaimah Women's campus (RKW) has over 1,800 students<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hct.ac.ae/colleges/rkwc/#facts |title=Ras al Khaimah Women's College - Higher Colleges of Technology |access-date=31 July 2015 |archive-date=7 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907231647/http://www.hct.ac.ae/colleges/rkwc/#facts |url-status=dead }}</ref> and offers a wide variety of business and technical courses for Emirati women in Ras Al Khaimah.

===The HCT-Sharjah Men's and Women's campuses=== The HCT-Sharjah campuses are two of the 16 colleges that compose the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The '''Sharjah Women's campus''' (SJW) was established in 1997<ref>{{cite web|title=Sharjah Women's College|url=http://www.hct.ac.ae/colleges/swc/|publisher=Higher College of Technology}}</ref> and the '''Sharjah Men's campus''' (SJM) in 1998.<ref name="Sharjah Men's College">{{cite web|title=Sharjah Men's College|work=Higher Colleges of Technology|url=http://www.hct.ac.ae/colleges/smc/|publisher=Higher College of Technology|access-date=5 September 2013|archive-date=17 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817093024/http://www.hct.ac.ae/colleges/smc/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The current Executive Director of the Sharjah campuses is Khaled Al Hammadi.<ref name="Sharjah Men's College"/>

===Madinat Zayed and Ruwais campuses === New campuses were opened in 2007 for both men and women in the Al Dhafrah region of the Abu Dhabi Emirate in the cities of Madinat Zayed and Ruwais. The current Executive Director of the Madinat Zayed and Ruwais campuses is Abdu Rahman Al Jahoushi.<ref>{{cite web|title=Madinat Zayed Colleges|work=Higher Colleges of Technology|url=http://www.hct.ac.ae/colleges/mzc/|access-date=5 September 2013|archive-date=17 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817140011/http://www.hct.ac.ae/colleges/mzc/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Initiatives ==

* It created a 3D Printed Ventilator Splitter for treating multiple patients with a single ventilator in hospitals’ Intensive Care Units.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Weqaya|title=HCT develops and manufactures 3D Printed Ventilator Splitter in UAE's Fight Against Coronavirus|url=https://www.weqaya.ae/en/posts/hct-develops-and-manufactures-3d-printed-ventilator-splitter-in-uaes-fight-against-coronavirus|access-date=2021-01-26|website=Weqaya|language=en-US}}</ref> * It launched the UAE’s first Artificial Intelligence Academy, with the National Program for Artificial intelligence.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-04-30|title=AI skills academy launched to empower Emiratis|url=https://www.cert.ae/media/ai-skills-academy-launched-to-empower-emiratis/|access-date=2021-01-26|website=CERT - Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training - Higher Colleges of Technology|language=en}}</ref> * It became the UAE's first approved university economic free zone with the inauguration of the HCT InnCuVation Spaces.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shaikh Hamdan launches Dubai university free zones strategy|url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/shaikh-hamdan-launches-dubai-university-free-zones-strategy-1.1552138365337|access-date=2021-01-26|website=gulfnews.com|date=9 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref> * Agreed with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MOHRE) to provide training and upskilling for 18,000 Emirati students through the National Training Program.<ref>{{Cite web|title=News {{!}} Media Center {{!}} Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation|url=https://www.mohre.gov.ae/en/media-centre/news/9/12/2020/mohre-and-hct-showcase-package-of-training-qualification-and-entrepreneurship-programs-for-emiratis-at-sheikh-zayed-festival.aspx|access-date=2021-01-26|website=www.mohre.gov.ae}}</ref> * It became the UAE's first government higher education institution to obtain 100% accreditation of its academic programs, through the UAE's Commission for Academic Accreditation ([https://www.caa.ae/ CAA]).<ref>{{Cite web|title=HCT Leads Way CAA Accreditation For All 71 Academic Programs - Higher Colleges of Technology|url=https://hct.ac.ae/ar/news/hct-leads-way-caa-accreditation-71-academic-programs/|access-date=2021-01-26|website=hct.ac.ae|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Notable alumni ==

* Saeed Al Nazari, UAE government officials * Hala Badri, director general of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority * Sara Musallam, business woman and politician

== Notes == {{notelist}}

== References == {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Higher Colleges of Technology}} Category:Higher Colleges of Technology Category:Education in the United Arab Emirates Category:Universities and colleges in the United Arab Emirates Category:Educational institutions established in 1988 Category:Science and technology in the United Arab Emirates Category:Technical universities and colleges in the United Arab Emirates Category:1988 establishments in the United Arab Emirates