UCLan signs multi-million pound deals in the Middle East

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has secured two agreements worth a combined £6.5m to provide courses in the Middle East.

In the first of the two contracts, UCLan will extend its long-term partnership with the International College of Engineering and Management (ICEM) in Seeb, a coastal city in Oman, for a further five years.

The agreement means students will now be able to complete an undergraduate degree course in Oman without having to study part of the programme in Preston.

In a separate deal struck with the Ministry of Interior of Qatar, UCLan will provide courses in fire safety engineering management from the Doha-based Ras Laffan Emergency and Safety College. As part of the agreement, UCLan will have the opportunity to study at the £302m facility.

David Taylor, pro chancellor and chair of the university board, led the visits to Oman and Qatar to secure the deals.

He commented: “The extension of our partnership with ICEM is a real milestone and evidence of its past success, while the new relationship with Qatar Civil Defence will complement this and the University’s other global partnerships, such as those in China and Mauritius.

“What’s more these initiatives will result in enormous benefits for students. For instance, they’ll have access to world-class facilities, they’ll be taught by academic staff with wide ranging industrial experience and they’ll benefit from collaborative research which will feed into the teaching curriculum.”

David continued: “The programmes will generate graduates who are highly trained and highly employable, both vocationally and academically, ready to apply their skills to national and global challenges.”