ABU DHABI— Khalifa University of Science and Technology and the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation have launched the Al Ghurair Innovation Hub, a new experiential learning centre designed to connect classroom education with real industry experience.
The initiative addresses a challenge familiar to universities worldwide: how to prepare graduates not just with academic knowledge, but with the practical skills, professional exposure and entrepreneurial thinking that employers increasingly expect.
The agreement was signed by Professor Ebrahim Al Hajri, President of Khalifa University, and Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, Chairman of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation. It builds on a long-running partnership between the two institutions and supports the UAE’s broader push toward a diversified, knowledge-based economy.
How the Hub will work
The Innovation Hub will function as a shared platform where students, faculty and industry partners collaborate on real-world problems. Planned activities include industry-sponsored projects, hackathons, design challenges and other experiential learning programmes.
The goal is to give students the chance to apply what they learn in professional settings before they graduate, rather than encountering that transition for the first time in the job market.
Professor Al Hajri said preparing graduates for the future requires more than academic excellence alone. He described the Hub as a way to help students turn knowledge into innovation and ideas into solutions, building on years of joint work between the two institutions.
He also noted that Khalifa University recently became the first university in the UAE to enter the world’s Top 150 in the QS World University Rankings 2027, a milestone he tied to the university’s focus on connecting education with real-world outcomes.
Dr. Sonia Ben Jaafar, CEO of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation, said investing in young people is among the most important investments a nation can make. She said the Hub reflects a shared belief that graduates should leave university with strong academic foundations, hands-on experience, and a clear sense of how they can contribute to the UAE’s future.
Building on a track record
The Hub is the latest step in a partnership that has already produced several education initiatives in the UAE. Together, the two organisations helped establish the University Consortium for Quality Online Learning (UCQOL), launched under the patronage of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to expand digital learning across the sector. Through this effort, Khalifa University has developed more than 30 online and hybrid courses, reaching over 33,000 learners, including through a collaboration with Coursera.
The partnership also introduced Khalifa University’s first co-operative education pilot programme, developed with the University of Waterloo, bringing an internationally recognised work-integrated learning model to engineering education in the UAE.
Building on that momentum, the university plans to launch a new Employability Certificate in Fall 2026, combining experiential learning, career development and workplace readiness training to help students transition into professional life.
Where the Hub fits in
Based on Khalifa University’s main campus, the Al Ghurair Innovation Hub will be overseen by a joint steering committee co-chaired by the university’s president and the Foundation’s CEO. Beyond hosting student projects, the Hub is expected to convene regional and international forums on the future of higher education, and will connect with the Nomu Al Ghurair Job Readiness Programme to extend its reach across the UAE. – With inputs from WAM
