Academic institutional merger: an emerging UAE experience

Abstract

The mounting pressures of internationalising higher education, the quest for recognition from international accreditation bodies, the drive for higher global academic rankings, and the rising prevalence of distance learning and remote work collectively appear to foster a new wave of university mergers. In response to these dynamics, the United Arab Emirates initiated a significant merger in 2017, consolidating three prominent academic institutions to form Khalifa University: the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, the Petroleum Institute, and the Khalifa University of Science, Technology, and Research. This strategic merger seeks to integrate multidisciplinary research and education in engineering, energy, and renewable resources. This paper aims to critically evaluate this strategic merger, as each constituent institution possesses distinct missions, goals, and challenges, thereby marking a notable institutional transition.