Education for SDGs: specific courses on sustainability

Canadian University Dubai aligns public health programs with UAE 2031 vision

Degrees designed to nurture next generation of changemakers in environment and health

June 20th, 2023, Dubai, UAE: Canadian University Dubai (CUD) has set out to nurture the next generation of environment and health management changemakers, with a revamped curriculum that aims to support the Government’s ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision. The Bachelor of Science in Public Health program has been built to align with the nation’s goals for the coming decade, with two concentrations in the disciplines of Health Administration and Environmental Health Management.

CUD’s BSc in Public Health has received re-accreditation by the Ministry of Education in the UAE, based upon two newly introduced concentrations, specifically supporting the ‘We the UAE 2031’ goals around accelerating growth in the healthcare and sustainability industries. The vision aims to position the UAE among the top 10 countries in the world for healthcare services, and one of the global forces in the environmental agenda. As public health and the environment are pivotal to the sustainability of humanity, graduates of the newly specialized programs have the potential to play a leading role in the future of society, both locally and internationally.

Speaking about the curriculum alignment, Dr. Aseel Takshe, Head of the Department of Public Health at CUD said, “With the UAE Year of Sustainability, the hosting of COP 28 and the nation’s ambitions surrounding medical tourism, the program is fully aligned with the current and future market demand. It is designed to attract ambitious students who aspire to be tomorrow’s public health leaders and a driving force for change. Our aim is to lead the discourse and to nurture the dedicated professionals who will work at the forefront of the public health field in local and global communities.”

Dr. Takshe continued, “We take an applied approach to training students for professional practice in public health management, with several lab-based components that offer hands-on experience of real-world projects, as well as industry-based site visits that provide first-hand knowledge of the working environment. Students can also earn KHDA-accredited certifications on health and environment-related disciplines within the course, to build their professional credentials.”

The first episode of CUD’s new podcast series, ‘Coffee with the Profs,’ focused on the BSc program and the future of public health, both at a national and global level. This podcast series explores the different academic subjects and examines their societal impact. Hosted by Dr. Takshe, the discussion welcomed CUD public health graduates, Maha Talli and Inkara Nazarbekova, who reflected on their education and professional experiences since graduation.

Speaking about her motivation to study the program, Maha said, “Many of the public health issues we face, such as heat illnesses, malnutrition, and communicable diseases occur because of what is happening to the environment; the two subjects are entirely interrelated. We need to improve our focus on public health, understand what is causing these issues and to work towards early detection and prevention, rather than solving problems as they arise. This is why it is important for me and our communities to be a part of contributing to this change.”

Concluding the discussion, Dr. Takshe said, “The issues around health and the environment have always existed, but we do not know when we will reach the tipping point from which we cannot recover. We need to elevate our actions now so that we can be proactive, not reactive, to the challenges that lie ahead. This program is important to the future of this region and society as a whole, to create the changemakers that will make the difference that impacts all of our lives.”

BSc in Environmental Health Management Accredited* by ECO Canada

Thursday, June 3, 2021: Canadian University Dubai (CUD) is pleased to announce that the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health Management program has been awarded Accreditation* Status from ECO Canada.

ECO Canada acts as a steward for the Canadian environmental workforce across all industries and aims to promote and drive responsible, sustainable economic growth while ensuring that environmental care is a priority. Their International Post-Secondary Environmental Program Accreditation recognizes programs for their commitment to high-quality education, accountability, and public trust.

After rigorous assessment, the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health Management program at CUD has proven to meet an international standard of excellence in environmental practice and aligns with the growing labour market needs of the environmental workforce worldwide. The accreditation will apply to graduating, current and prospective students of this program, effective from April 29, 2021.

CUD’s BSc in Environmental Health Management covers a wide variety of disciplines and prepares students for the technical and professional demands of careers in the field of Environment, Human Health, Safety, Healthcare Institutions and Research. Students are actively involved within their communities through the planning and execution of environmental and health projects, and learn methods for analyzing, evaluating, and controlling environmental health issues.

To learn more about this program accreditation, please visit the ECO Canada website .

*Interim Accreditation Status

Dr. Naveed Yasin co-authors with CUD student, Ms. Gayatri Nair, on a study accepted for presentation at a prestigious Canadian conference in 2021

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020: Ms. Gayatri Nair, a third-year undergraduate marketing student at CUD, in collaboration with her professor, Dr. Naveed Yasin (Associate Professor in Entrepreneurship) from the Faculty of Management, jointly conducted an exploratory study on gamification and GSRS in student learning in enterprise education at the Canadian University Dubai.

The co-authored study, titled, “Exploring the ‘PERI’ model for Gamification in Student Learning in Enterprise Education at the Canadian University Dubai” has been accepted for presentation at the highly prestigious Scopus indexed, EduTeach2021 international conference at the 5th Canadian International Conference on Advances in Education, Teaching & Technology held at the University of Toronto, Canada.

After completing entrepreneurship and enterprise education courses at CUD, Ms. Nair was fascinated with the gamification approaches that her professor, Dr. Naveed, was using to engage his students. Based on this fascination, Dr. Yasin developed a fusion paper, where he directly supervised Ms. Gayatri Nair to collect and analyze the data using a Template Analysis approach. Specifically, the study adopted qualitative research methods through a series of semi-structured interviews with CUD students. As a result, the study developed an innovative model that they named ‘PERI’, which encompasses the learner’s preferabilities (P), experiences (E), recommendations (R), and impressions (I) of student learning in enterprise education when engaging with gamification approaches.

In response to this collaborative achievement, Gayatri said “The very first word that comes to my mind when I think about CUD enterprise education courses is “FUN!”. This was the reason why I was so fascinated with the gamification techniques that Dr. Yasin was using in his courses. To my surprise, each session and class were extremely engaging through his gamification techniques, and this offered great interactivity with other students and the professor in an intellectually stimulating and competitive learning environment. Dr. Naveed’s teaching approach was truly inspirational as it helped me to find my enterprising and entrepreneurship skills. Dr. Naveed is truly an expert in finding and nurturing such talents amongst his students using a wide range of methods. Since this was a great initiative and I had the opportunity to work with such an internationally renowned professor of enterprise education, I was more than excited and honored to be working with him on this project. Throughout the project, he would provide expert advice and strategies while teaching me how to prepare, collect, and then analyze the qualitative data through innovative and contemporary approaches in research. As this was my very first time working on such a study, I was initially clueless about how I would perform in this project but, Dr. Naveed made it extremely easy and provided me with all the support. I never imagined that I would have such an opportunity at CUD, and I cannot be more grateful to both CUD and Dr. Naveed Yasin for providing me with this wonderful opportunity.”

The study will be presented at the EduTech 2021 conference at the University of Toronto, Canada in June 2021.

BSc in Environmental Health Management Accredited* by ECO Canada

To learn more about this program accreditation, please visit the ECO Canada website .

*Interim Accreditation Status

CUD Professor Spotlights Design Opportunities for Effective Learning Space

November 27th, 2016: Assistant Professor of architecture at Canadian University Dubai (CUD), Mr. Massimo Imparato, has chaired a multi-disciplinary debate surrounding the opportunities that exist within the design industry to create a more effective educational environment for young people.

Hosted at the DEWA Pavilion in Zabeel Park 2 as part of Dubai Design Week, the event brought together design, education and art professionals to discuss the impact of space design on the learning process. Among the panel members were Monica Mazzolani of Italian design firm MTAA; CUD Lecturer, Dima Yousef; Fatma Al Mahmoud of Maraya Arts Centre; and Aaditya Tangri of education solutions provider, Kalebr, Toronto.

Under the headline theme ‘Design for Education’, Mr. Imparato highlighted how an excess of formal learning and the conventional school environment might oppress creativity and curiosity in children. The debate explored how the design of a learning space could help to engage children in practical and active experiences that result in a more effective and rewarding education.

The debate also touched on the role of art in self-development and critical thinking, the opportunities presented by cutting edge educational practices, and the benefits of developing an environment that promotes and facilitates peer-to-peer learning opportunities.

The event was organized as part of Dubai Design Week 2016, a diverse 6-day program of events showcasing the best of the city’s creativity and promoting debate about the future of the industry in the region.