The Essay
Creating a University Without Borders, Literally
What happens when a university breaks down its own barriers and opens the gates to the community?
By Karim Seghir, Chancellor, Ajman University, UAE and Member, QS Global Advisory Committee (Middle East)
Every day, in every way, we strive to bring the outside in and vice versa.
Ultimately, the most significant measure of AU’s success will be our ability to foster social change.
The age-old adage of higher education as an Ivory Tower is being dismantled to pave the way for a future of inclusive and interconnected learning. So-called elite groups of thinkers, housed in academic silos on hilltops, are no longer regarded as virtuous or valuable. The accurate measure of an institution now depends on its ability to break down barriers between the campus and the community in pursuit of mutually beneficial outcomes.
Today, the road to knowledge is a two-way path characterised by Edupreneurship –an integrated landscape of educators, researchers, trailblazers, and changemakers, many of whom fall into more than one category. So why cling to segmented ideas, spaces and places?
To foster a genuine openness to the world beyond our walls, Ajman University is dismantling the physical barriers that hinder collaborative efforts with stakeholders. Removing these obstacles surrounding our perimeter sends a powerful message: Nothing should impede access for new generations of thinkers and new iterations of thinking.
The demolition of our exterior walls represents the start of a larger project with the Ajman Municipality & Planning Department, ultimately aimed at establishing a public pathway around our entire city block.
Once completed, our neighbours can join us for a jog, bike ride or stroll among the gardens and trees, enjoying an unobstructed view of our historic and beautiful campus. Our 360-degree perspective of the city will continuously remind us of what, and who, matters most.
Ultimately, community members will gain access to more space at AU, including the library, industry incubator, innovation hub, sports fields and more. Similarly, our students will spend more time outside the classroom, engaging in on-site, hands-on learning experiences. Every moment that stakeholders can share together boosts opportunities for meaningful social impact, our raison d’être.
Tearing down walls at AU refers to all of them: the figurative barriers that obstruct multi-disciplinary research and impede society-centred innovation, as well as the literal ones that divide and separate us from the communities we exist to serve. We prioritise open access in all its forms, intertwining people and purpose in pursuit of a better future for all.
What does this philosophy look like in practice? Every day, in every way, we strive to bring the outside in and vice versa. A prime example is our mobile dental clinic, which offers free preventive and restorative dental treatments to at-risk populations. Equipped with state-of-the-art dental technology, including dental chairs and X-ray units, the clinic aims to ensure that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can maintain good oral health.
On the Ajman shoreline, students frequently collaborate with community volunteers on AU’s mangrove replanting project, which is one aspect of our comprehensive commitment to sustainability. These remarkable trees protect coastlines from erosion, provide essential habitats for fish and other marine life and absorb significant amounts of carbon dioxide. So far, AU students and the Ajman community have planted 3,370 young mangrove trees together.
Ultimately, the most significant measure of Ajman University’s success will be our ability to foster social change and nurture the changemakers who will drive it forward. We firmly believe that one of the best ways to build the future is by tearing down walls.