# Khalifa University

Khalifa University (Arabic: جامعة خليفة) is a research, innovation and enterprise-intensive public university located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Khalifa University's current president, Professor Ebrahim Al Hajri, was appointed in July 2024.
The university has 5,000 students.
As of 2023, faculty and staff come from over 70 countries, and its student body is internationally diverse and co-educational.

## Campuses

Khalifa University has two campuses in Abu Dhabi – the Main Campus and the Sas Al Nakhl Campus.
The KU Main Campus is located on Abu Dhabi Island. At Main Campus, the central administration for the University is located and all general education courses are taught. It has 135,000 square meters and houses 105 laboratories, including aerospace and underwater robotics labs, 72 classrooms, sports center, retail and food outlets, and multi-story parking.
A campus extension was completed in 2016 with a new building that won the award for best Cultural and Institutional Project at the 2015 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Interior Design and Architecture Awards. It also has one library, a clinic, a student hub with a dining room, and numerous cafes and restaurants.
In July 2024, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and Khalifa University awarded a project through its public-private partnership program to develop world-class student accommodation and facilities in the UAE capital. Awarded to a consortium named KUnnected Living, made up of Plenary Group, Besix and Mazrui International. It includes a 23-year concession to design, build, finance and maintain 3,260 student rooms and communal facilities located across Khalifa University's Main Campus and its Sas Al Nakhl (SAN) Campus.
The Sas Al Nakhl Campus hosts the ADNOC Research and Innovation Center (ADRIC), a research facility comprising 39 labs covering reservoir rock characterization and reservoir fluid characterization. It has student residences, exercise rooms, sports courts and fields, dining facility, cafeterias, two libraries, and an Independent Learning Center (ILC). The campus also has First Aid Clinics.

### External R&D Facilities

Khalifa University’s Masdar Institute Field Station and the Masdar Institute Solar Platform (MISP) are located externally at Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.

### Student life

Students can participate in various clubs and academic organizations ranging from student government to the sports club.

## Scholarship

Khalifa University offers a range of competitive Scholarships to Undergraduate and Graduate UAE Nationals and international students.
$^●$External sponsors
Khalifa University partners with external sponsors to provide scholarships that go beyond financial support, incorporating research, industry connections, and practical skills to enhance students' education and career opportunities.
Scholarships by external sponsors support both UAE National and international students pursuing their degrees at Khalifa University. They include:
* Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)
* Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA)
* UAE Ministry of Education
* UAE Ministry of Defence
* UAE Ministry of Interior
* Emirates Health Services

## Organization – Academics

Khalifa University offers 16 undergraduate degrees through its College of Engineering and Physical Sciences:

### College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

* Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Engineering Systems And Management
* Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
* Bachelor of Science in Physics
* Bachelor of Science in Earth and Planetary Sciences

### College of Computing and Mathematical Sciences

* Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering
** Software Systems Concentration
* B.Sc. In Robotics And Artificial Intelligence (AI)
* Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
** Artificial Intelligence Concentration
** Cybersecurity Concentration
* Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics, Statistics, and Data Science

### College of Medicine and Health Sciences

* Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology

### Minors offered by Khalifa University

* Minor in Artificial Intelligence
* Minor in Biotechnology
* Minor in Energy Transition
* Minor in General Business
* Minor In Mathematics
* Minor in Nuclear Engineering
* Minor in Renewable and Sustainable Energy

### Postgraduate programs of study
#### College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

* Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering
** Space Systems and Technology
** Guidance, Navigation, and Control Systems
* Master of Science in Chemical Engineering
** Food Process Engineering and Technology
** Metallurgical Engineering
* Master of Science in Civil and Infrastructural Engineering
* Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering
* Master of Science in Engineering Systems and Management
** Technology Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
** Complex Systems Acquisition and Management
* Master of Science in Health Systems Management
* Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering
** Space Systems and Technology
** Metallurgical Engineering
* Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
** Space Systems and Technology
* Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering
* Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering
* Master of Science in Water and Environmental Engineering
* Master of Engineering in Health, Safety and Environmental Engineering
* Master of Science in Applied Chemistry
* Master of Science in Medical Physics
* Master of Science in Petroleum Geosciences
* Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering
** Aerospace Engineering
** Chemical Engineering
** Civil Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering
** Electrical and Computer Engineering
** Engineering Systems and Management
** Material Science and Engineering
** Mechanical Engineering
** Nuclear Engineering (offered to UAE and Saudi Nationals only)
** Petroleum Engineering
** Robotics
* Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry
* Doctor of Philosophy in Earth Sciences
* Doctor of Philosophy in Physics

#### College Of Computing And Mathematical Sciences

* Master of Science in Computational Data Science
** Computational Systems
** Data Analytics
* Master of Science in Computer Science
** Artificial Intelligence
* Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering
* Master of Science in Applied Mathematics
* Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering
** Electrical and Computer Engineering
* Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics

#### College of Medicine and Health Sciences

* Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering
* Master of Science in Molecular Life Sciences
* Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering
** Biomedical Engineering
* Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Life Sciences
* PhD in Biomedical Sciences
* PhD in Public Health

### International & Civil Security

Distinct in the Gulf, Khalifa University's Institute for International and Civil Security (IICS) seeks to "produce research which will strengthen the security of the UAE in a way that is responsive to the needs of national and global security decision-makers ... enabling the programme to make major contributions that enhance regional, international and human security." Dr. Athol Yates, is the Acting Program Chair.

## Accreditation

The University is fully licensed and all its programs are accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates.

### ABET Accreditation

The following programs offered by the College of Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET):
* Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
* Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering
The following program offered by the College of Arts and Sciences is accredited by the Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission (ANSAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET):
* Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Geosciences

## Rankings

Khalifa University is ranked among the top 30 young universities worldwide. The university came 27th, up from 49th last year, according to the latest Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2024.
Khalifa University jumped five slots to be ranked top in the UAE and 40th in Asia in the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings 2024, which has evaluated 739 universities from 31 countries/territories.
Khalifa University jumped 28 slots to be ranked Top in the UAE for seven years in a row and 202nd globally in the QS World University Rankings 2025.
Khalifa University’s Petroleum Engineering department is ranked 8th in the world by the 2023 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject – Engineering and Technology.
Khalifa University surged ahead to be placed 2nd in the Times Higher Education (THE) Arab University Rankings 2023, moving higher from the 5th place in the previous year's ranking.
Khalifa University Ranked 27th Worldwide and Top in MENA region in THE Young University Rankings 2024.

## Collaborations

In 2019 Khalifa University launched Emirates Nuclear Technology Centre in collaboration with Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation.
In February 2024, the ELT Group and Khalifa University signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) to expand the knowledge of the management of the Electromagnetic Spectrum in the UAE.
In 2023 within the framework of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed earlier to establish academic cooperation in developing aeronautical education and related research in the UAE, Khalifa University of Science and Technology and Dassault Aviation of France announced they are collaborating on a research project that focuses on developing two new material technologies for aerospace applications with potential for patenting and commercialization.
Naval Group and Khalifa University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in innovative research fields for naval and maritime applications in the United Arab Emirates.

## History

Khalifa University of Science and Technology was established in February 2017, following a decree issued by the UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on the merger of three universities – Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, The Petroleum Institute and Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.
Originally established in 1989 as the Etisalat College of Engineering (ECE), the school's main campus was built in Sharjah, and it aimed to supply the Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat – now e&) with qualified, trained and fully-equipped human capital.
In 2007, the legacy institution Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research (KUSTAR), had been established by a decree issued by the UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in an effort to support a knowledge-based economy.

## Academic partnership

In July 2024, Khalifa University launched a dual PhD program in the field of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, in partnership with KU Leuven of Belgium, providing students from both institutions the opportunity to gain international research experience.
Earlier, Khalifa University established a number of international academic and research partnerships. They include associations with the Georgia Institute of Technology, Texas A&M University Nuclear Security Science & Policy Institute, and KAIST. In April 2011, Khalifa University signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Bristol to establish and create the Visual Signal Analysis and Processing (VSAP) research centre at the university's Abu Dhabi campus.
On December 8, 2019 Khalifa University, the University of Milan and the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa signed an agreement to set up a joint lab for embodied artificial intelligence ( AI) in Abu Dhabi.
In 2022, Khalifa and Manchester Universities launched a partnership in the field of graphene innovation.

## Publications

Khalifa University interacts with professional media persons/journalists through publishing articles and news reports/press releases in the mainstream media such as newspapers, magazines and other research, industry and academic sector-related periodicals.
KUST Review – In March 2023, the ‘Khalifa University Science and Technology Review’ was launched to include local, regional and globally-relevant innovations, in Arabic and English, in both print and digital pdf versions. It includes interviews from industry leaders and panel discussions from experts.
Explorer – A collaboration with Nature Research Custom Media, part of Springer Nature.
KU Times – An internal on-campus magazine covering important announcements, strategic initiatives, events, conferences, collaborations, visits by local and international dignitaries and student activities.
Innovation Forward – A research-focused monthly newsletter that highlights the most innovative breakthroughs, cutting-edge research, collaborations, and thought-leadership
KU Radio Science – A podcast to explain the important research taking place at Khalifa University.