Globalization of Education in UAE: The Local Legislative Education Policies for International Branch Campuses and Its Tensions Given the Political, Religious, and Cultural Differences

Globalization has flourished many sectors of the society, including higher education. This article researches the existing literature of globalization of education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the establishment of international branch campuses (IBCs), particularly in Dubai. UAE has its laws and legislations in place for IBCs which must be followed by all. There are different accreditation boards in UAE that universities undergo based on their type and locality within the country. Due to UAE having a strong political, religious, and cultural context, tensions are faced by IBCs and local students in ensuring the implementation of curriculum borrowed policies. Despite the tensions, it is seen that UAE has a steady increase in the growth of IBCs. This article further researches the tensions and reasons of the success of IBCs in UAE’s context.