Date Created: 03 November 2011
Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University has officially opened a £35 million campus in Dubai.
The purpose built campus - the first to be opened by an overseas university in the Dubai International Academic City.
The new campus has trebled Heriot-Watt's original capacity of 1500 students and will allow the university to increase the range of course it provides in the region.
Opening the new campus Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond, said:
"This world-class campus will quite rightly help establish the high quality reputation of Heriot-Watt University in the United Arab Emirates and will pave the way for the university's expansion in the region and further afield. Even more than that, it will showcase the advantages of gaining an education in a Scottish university.
"The high-quality Scottish education available at Heriot-Watt's Dubai campus will provide thousands of students with the skills to become future leaders, managers and innovators to create a stronger business world."
Heriot-Watt's prinicipal, Steve Chapman, added:
"The opening of our new, purpose-built Campus heralds an exciting new chapter in Heriot-Watt University's history in Dubai and builds upon our considerable and pioneering success here.
"As Scotland's international university, the official opening of our new state-of-the-art, eco-friendly Campus, built in partnership with Eikon International and offering world class facilities, demonstrates our ambition and continued vision for providing high quality and relevant Scottish Higher education in the region."
As the first British university to open in the International Academic City, Heriot-Watt has attracted students from India, Nigeria and Kazakhstan.
The Sunday Times recently names Heriot-Watt the Scottish University of the Year 2011/12.
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