Association of Arab Universities Organizes Specialized Program to Enhance the Competitiveness of Arab Universities in ShanghaiRanking

The Association of Arab Universities (AArU), in cooperation with ShanghaiRanking, organized the ShanghaiRanking Excellence Program in Dubai, bringing together 24 Arab universities from 7 Arab countries and more than 40 academic and administrative leaders and representatives of university offices for rankings, research, quality assurance, and strategic planning.

The program was inaugurated by Prof. Anas Al-Saud, Executive Director of the Association of Arab Universities, who emphasized the importance of empowering Arab universities to enhance their institutional and research performance, strengthen their competitiveness and visibility in international rankings, and benefit from the expertise and specialized tools provided by ShanghaiRanking.

Prof. Al-Saud highlighted AArU’s strong commitment to developing the capacity of Arab universities in international rankings, which serve as important indicators for assessing institutional performance and identifying areas for improvement. He reaffirmed the Association’s continued efforts to provide programs and initiatives that support Arab universities on their journey toward academic and research excellence and greater global visibility.

Delivered by ShanghaiRanking experts Yi Cheng Xin and Xue Yang, the program provided participating universities with specialized knowledge, tools, and consultations to better understand the methodologies of global ShanghaiRanking systems, analyze their performance, and develop data-driven strategies for sustainable improvement.

The program covered the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) and the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS), including ranking indicators, methodologies, data sources, and institutional and subject-level performance indicators.

Participants also explored practical strategies for improving university performance in global rankings, key challenges and common misconceptions related to ShanghaiRanking, and best practices for using ranking data and academic and research indicators to support strategic planning.

The program included one-to-one consultation sessions between ShanghaiRanking experts and participating universities. Each university received a dedicated session to review its current ranking performance, identify strengths and areas for improvement, receive tailored recommendations, and develop data-driven strategies to enhance its performance and global visibility.

Through this program, the Association of Arab Universities reaffirms its commitment to empowering Arab universities, strengthening their institutional and research capacities, enhancing their competitiveness, and supporting their presence in the global higher education landscape.