SEA’s Accredited Arabic Postgraduate Diploma in Education Program:
Empowering Arabic-Speaking Educators with World-Renowned Curriculum for Leading Educational Qualifications.
As a general practice all over the world, most degree granting higher education organizations are required to undergo a quality assurance process to ensure that they offer quality programs to their students who graduate from their institutions. This process is often referred to as Accreditation, such that when an international or national accrediting body recognizes an institution, school, college, or program, not only is the program considered of high quality, but the degree a person graduates with is also considered credible and recognized by most higher education institutions and employers worldwide.
Did you know that the process of accrediting institutions by the UAE Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) is a highly significant and rigorous one? The CAA undertakes a comprehensive and collaborative evaluation and review process to only license the best higher education institutions in the UAE. Did you also know that it is mandatory for all academic credit-bearing programs, ranging from undergraduate to doctoral programs, to be accredited by the CAA in order to grant degrees? As a vital organization operating under the UAE Ministry of Education, the CAA plays a critical role in ensuring that all degree programs offered in the UAE are of the highest quality and undergo continuous improvement.
Sharjah Education Academy (SEA) is one of these institutions that the UAE CAA licensed in 2022 to offer academic programs. SEA’s Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) program was also accredited by CAA in 2022 to be offered in English.
In 2023, and in accordance with H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi honourable directives towards fulfilling the needs of the educational field locally, regionally, and internationally, the Academy launched the Arabic version of the Post Graduate Diploma in Education and received accreditation from the UAE CAA.
In collaboration with the University of Helsinki, the latest educational studies were employed during the program’s content development, while its Arabization was completed with the support of a specialized Arabic university. This initiative aims to fulfill and encompass the needs of the educational field on an equal basis for both international and national curricula. The Arabic version of the program works as a vessel that carries the latest academic studies, sciences, and research from the Finnish education system, rated as one of the best educational systems globally.
The program was initially presented to the English-speaking educational community in 2022, and is now offered to the Arabic speaking educational community in 2023 in the same excellent quality content, well-structured in eloquent Arabic, with examples relevant to the Arabic culture, all well-aligned with the National Agenda of the UAE, allowing Sharjah to spearhead the initiative of transferring the latest educational knowledge and developments to relevant communities -locally and globally- from their original sources in both English and Arabic.
Providing the Arabic version of the Postgraduate Diploma in Education for Arabic-speaking teachers will help them focus on the content and learning objectives without worrying about language-related issues. Instead, it will encourage them to foster collaboration, share experiences, ideas, and best practices. As well as raise their self-esteem, which can lead to long-term benefits, such as improved teaching quality, increased student achievement, and a more culturally responsive education system. Investing in language-appropriate programs, schools, and educational institutions can create a more effective and inclusive learning environment for teachers and students in Arabic-speaking schools.
It is a truly ground-breaking endeavor, and we feel compelled to bring attention to the fact that Sharjah is looking for the latest research and knowledge that has an impact on the education system from all around the world and making it accessible to all educators in both English and Arabic.
Congratulations on the first step towards our dream, which we achieved with Allah’s help and the patronage of His Highness!,
Dr. Hunada Kanbar holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Sharjah. She is currently serving as the founding Chief Learning Officer and Assistant Professor for Sharjah Education Academy. Her experience spans across 25 years and five countries (USA, Canada, UK, UAE and KSA). She has held several positions including: Change Management Advisor, School Improvement Advisor, Educational Consultant, Efficacy Reviewer, and Associate School Inspector.
Dr. Hunada has worked with leading private companies to transform international education, as well as government entities on a strategic level. She was part of the team that authored and reviewed six frameworks: Inspection framework, Evaluation framework in education, Digital transformation framework in education. She holds several accreditations in leadership and coaching: an accredited leadership coach from the National College for School Leadership in UAE, a certified teacher trainer from Edexcel, Pearson award for Special Mention Award. She was both a judge and an awards’ standard developer in Sharjah. She has inspected 300 schools.
