The University's Ras Al Khaimah campus celebrates today (Friday 19 February 2010) as its first cohort of students to reach graduation in RAK attend the University's first degree congregation ceremony in the United Arab Emirates country.
Those receiving their awards will also be the first University of Bolton students to graduate from the University's first international campus. The University is also the first and only British university operating in RAK.
In front of an audience of 300 students, around 25 undergraduates will receive their Bachelor's degrees in Business Management and approximately 30 postgraduate students will receive postgraduate certificates or diplomas.
The degree congregation ceremony will be attended by both the University of Bolton's Vice Chancellor and its Chancellor, The Rt Hon Baroness Morris of Bolton, OBE DL.
H.H. Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qassimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah has accepted the University's offer to be awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University at the ceremony.
H.H. Sheikh Faisal Bin Saqr Al Qassimi, Chairman of the RAK Free Trade Zone will also receive an Honorary Doctorate and is expected to receive his award at the UK graduation ceremony to be held in July 2010.
Also in attendance will be various dignitaries, including members of the British Council and British Embassy. An invitation to the business community has also been extended.
The campus currently has 300 registered students studying on a range of programmes which include Business, Computing, Engineering, Electronics and Supply Chain Management. All academic programmes follow the control, assessment and the curriculum of the University's UK centre. All progression and awards are conferred by the same UK examination boards assessing University of Bolton students in the UK. Therefore, the University is able to award a UK degree to RAK campus students.
Ras Al Khaimah campus is part of a strategy for the University of Bolton, focusing on internationalisation.
Zubair Hanslot, Academic Director of the RAK Campus is supported by the University's International Campus learning Unit, based at the UK campus. The Unit provides support to ensure quality control as well as procedures and processes.
Said Zubair Hanslot: 'The internationalisation agenda is providing global opportunities to many communities who otherwise would not be able to access UK education. It is also a mechanism by which the university reflects on its teaching and learning strategies and the manner in which the academic curriculum is put into practice.'
The University campus has developed a partnership with the British Council to deliver the English language provision.