Today, the International Humanitarian City (IHC), the global humanitarian hub created by the Government of Dubai as an initiative of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Wollongong in Dubai. The MoU allows both entities to work collaboratively to promote and mutually strengthen engagement with humanitarian work given the ever-changing needs of the sector from both an academic and field perspective.

IHC enters into this partnership as part of its strategy to source the latest in academic thinking and scholarship in the field of humanitarian studies in the region and thus create more opportunities for the UAE’s various stakeholders to contribute to this critical field of work. In exchange, the IHC’s expertise will give UOWD students real-life understanding and on-the-ground knowledge to add to their classroom education. The partnership aims to facilitate the transfer of knowledge, and raise awareness about important global humanitarian issues as well as the work being done by the UAE through IHC, the largest humanitarian hub in the world.

The Master of International Relations (MIR) offered by the University of Wollongong in Dubai aims to prepare students to work in the field of International Relations, particularly in Diplomacy, Peace Studies, and Humanitarian Aid and Development. With its community, IHC is able to provide guidance on how humanitarian work and relief aid has evolved and the key to using innovation to address the issues facing the field. The partnership includes activities such as collaborative research projects, trainings, awareness sessions, technical consultations, professional advisory and development, as well as provision of feedback and input. Topics that will be taught under the partnership include The Foreign Policy of the UAE; UAE Humanitarian Action; Global Approach of the SDGs, among other topics deemed relevant to IHC’s operations as these emerge.

The MoU between these two entities is one of the ways to strengthen the dialogue between different actors operating in the same sector. IHC CEO Giuseppe Saba says, “IHC continuously strives to support access to humanitarian studies in the region by giving opportunities to the future leaders and operators in the humanitarian field. This partnership with the University of Wollongong is a tribute to that. We believe that IHC and the University of Wollongong in Dubai complement each other through education and empowerment: we are all working together for a better world and as a single humanity.”

Professor Mohamed Salem, President of UOWD, said: “In line with the vision of the UAE Government’s Leadership, this partnership between IHC and UOWD recognises the complexity of today’s global humanitarian emergencies and challenges, which require talent and resources from multiple stakeholders to achieve solutions.

UOWD conceives its community engagement remit as a way of fulfilling the vision of the UAE’s leadership on global initiatives. UOWD’s Master of International Relations prepares graduates for the leadership required to assess and develop solutions to complex problems involving issues such as poverty and climate change.

With the signing of this partnership, UOWD is proud to enhance dialogue between different stakeholders in the field of Humanitarianism and to contribute to the realisation of the UAE Government’s Sustainable Development Goals.”