Emirates Health Services (EHS) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Sharjah (UoS) in the presence of EHS Director-General H.E. Dr. Yousif Mohammed Al-Serkal and UoS Chancellor Prof. Dr. Hamid Majoul Al Nuaimi, along with faculty members and administrative staff from the university.

The MoU outlines a number of areas for collaboration, from upgrading health services to supporting education and training in the sector. The agreement sets out strategic objectives to achieve, such as upskilling healthcare workers in the UAE and developing their knowledge, in addition to supporting the advancement of scientific research and aligning educational resources in the health sector with the highest international standards.

“The MoU we have signed with the University of Sharjah aims to enhance areas of cooperation between our two organisations, to benefit from our respective expertise and resources in all areas that support the upskilling and advancement of healthcare professionals across various medical and health science specialties,” said EHS Director-General H.E. Dr. Yousif Al-Serkal. “This, in turn, is in line with our objectives and strategies at Emirates Health Services, and supports our aspirations and vision to shape a sustainable future for the healthcare sector in the UAE, maintain its leadership and excellence, and boost its regional and international competitiveness.”

For his part, UoS Chancellor Prof. Dr. Hamid Al Nuaimi welcomed the collaboration with EHS, noting that it “asserts the University of Sharjah’s leading role in serving the local community and offering various scientific disciplines. With the support of its President His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, the University of Sharjah is now the top university in the UAE and ranks among the best 251-300 universities in the world, according to the recently announced international university rankings.”

“This partnership with Emirates Health Services facilitates the exchange of expertise and fosters collaboration with outstanding healthcare experts to build and expand capacities in this vital sector, as well as to localise health professions in the UAE,” Dr. Al Nuaimi added. “This forms part of our strategy at the University of Sharjah to align our academic, training, and simulation programmes with the highest international standards, in line with our pioneering role in forming national talent, specialised in various health and medical disciplines, as required by hospitals and treatment facilities across the UAE.”

Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Qutaiba Hamid, Vice Rector for the Faculties of Medicine and Health Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, said: “The University of Sharjah Medical Complex is the largest of its kind in the UAE and the region offering various specialisations that cover all branches of medical and health sciences. The University is also home to several distinguished medical institutes and centres that allow us to meet our end of this agreement, and strengthen this cooperation to achieve our goals. The logistical capabilities of the Medical Complex make it possible to train doctors in various specialties, in addition to developing their teaching skills.”

Dr. Hamid pointed out that there are many opportunities for collaboration under this agreement, from training medical students and setting a framework for scientific research, to providing training in all areas that support the upskilling of healthcare professionals across all disciplines, including medical, nursing, dental, pharmacy, technical, and administrative.

As per the agreement, the two entities agreed to enhance their cooperation in education, training, the development of research and medical studies, and organising training programmes and workshops, in addition to facilitating the exchange of expertise, international best practices in the field, and innovative ideas to develop medical education and training.

The MoU aims to train students in schools of medicine and health sciences, as well as other faculties in EHS-affiliated facilities, in addition to upskilling EHS employees by organising joint training activities, conferences, seminars, and events, and cooperating on research and clinical activities, while exchanging innovative technologies.

Furthermore, the memorandum calls for supporting plans and programmes to sponsor, attract, and employ Emirati students by enabling high school graduates to join nursing scholarship programmes or the ‘Masar’ programme, and training them to work in EHS-affiliated facilities. Meanwhile, EHS staff can be sponsored to enrol at the University of Sharjah to study for academic certificates. The MoU will see the two entities coordinate to announce grants and scholarships provided by EHS to enrol in programmes at UoS and channel the latter’s academic resources towards enhancing health services.

The agreement also includes cooperation towards developing training programmes to ensure an appropriate transfer of knowledge and upskill healthcare professionals across the country through accredited programmes that train specialists in various health and administrative fields. It also calls for training instructors and upskilling healthcare staff enrolled with the EHS in clinical education, evidence-based medicine and biostatistics, and the methods and ethics of scientific research and healthcare.

Leading faculty members from the University of Sharjah were present at the signing of the agreement, namely, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Alamuddin, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences; Prof. Dr. Karem Al Zoubi, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy; Prof. Dr. Ahmed Hamdan, Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, and Prof. Dr. Muhammad Saleh Al-Hajjaj, Head of the Clinical Sciences Department at the Faculty of Medicine.