Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 02 August 2022: Placing students at the heart of the institution, Abu Dhabi University (ADU), received the highest accolade accreditation, a ten-year full reaccreditation without reservation, from The American Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), a world-renowned accrediting association and one of the six regional accrediting agencies in the USA. This singular clean bill-of-health comes after many months of close scrutiny of ADU by a distinguished panel of US educators, including a week-long site visit and final overview earlier this year by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.

 

In 2016, WASC began accrediting universities in the MENA region and ADU is the first higher education institution to win the prestigious certification that year. The reaccreditation was accompanied by a set of sixteen commendations of the university, including a citation of excellence for placing students at the heart of the institution and another for innovation in curriculum development and degree relevance. This WASC reaccreditation places ADU in the company of some of the most prestigious universities in North America and the world. 

 

Commenting on the occasion, Professor Waqar Ahmad, Chancellor at Abu Dhabi University (ADU), said: “We at ADU are delighted to have this reaffirmation of excellence by the well-qualified review team from WASC. We are pleased to have won once again the highest level of recognition and to represent the UAE in the ranks of many other highly acclaimed institutions of higher education that have the full ten-year certification. Since our establishment, we have put the students at the forefront of our educational strategy - we are committed to continuously enhancing our curriculums, presenting exciting knowledge exchange opportunities and best preparing our students for their future careers.” 

 

He added: “I am most grateful to the excellent staff at WASC and to the entire review team for the care and discernment that they brought to the review. I look forward to participating in the coming decade in WASC activities as we grow in distinction as the UAE’s largest private university.” 

The American Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is a world-renowned accrediting association and one of the six regional accrediting agencies in the USA. The purpose of the Commission is to foster excellence in elementary, secondary, adult and postsecondary institutions and supplementary education programs. The Commission encourages school improvement through a process of continuing evaluation and recognizes institutions through granting accreditation to the schools that meet a high level of quality in accordance with the established criteria. 

 

In an effort to deliver a well-rounded learning experience and ensure student satisfaction, the ADU faculty and student body are regularly surveyed to provide their feedback on tools, curricula and the overall educational journey both on and off campus.