AL AIN, 11th February, 2026 (WAM) -- Prof. Ahmed Ali Alraeesi, Vice Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), said that the university contributes 17 percent of the country’s total scientific output.
Marking the launch of celebrations for the university’s 50th anniversary, he affirmed that the institution will remain the “university of the future” and the state’s leading scientific arm, drawing inspiration from the vision of the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who laid the foundations of this landmark institution in 1976.
In a statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Prof. Alraeesi said that figures provide the strongest evidence of the qualitative transformation achieved by the university. It alone has contributed 17 percent of the UAE’s total scientific output through more than 30,000 research publications indexed in the global Scopus database, reflecting its pivotal role in strengthening the knowledge economy.
He explained that the university has successfully transitioned from knowledge consumption to production and innovation, registering more than 357 patents since 2012. At the same time, it has achieved advanced levels of international accreditation, with 93 percent of its programmes internationally accredited, targeting 100 percent before the end of the current year.
He added that the university has become a global platform attracting minds from around the world, bringing together more than 81 nationalities of researchers and scientists, and relying on a broad international network comprising 5,500 research partnerships with leading universities and research centres worldwide.
Concluding his remarks, the Vice Chancellor revealed the agenda of the jubilee year, inviting the academic community and the public to participate in more than 45 diverse events, including 10 international conferences and 16 intellectual forums, culminating in a major closing ceremony scheduled for 11th November, 2026.
He stressed that the golden jubilee is not merely a celebration of the past, but a launchpad for the next 50 years to renew commitment to enhancing the research skills of young people, particularly through global initiatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals research programme.