17 November 2025
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR), through its Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), has held workshops to help UAE-based higher education institutions (HEIs) implement the Outcome-based Evaluation Framework (OBEF), which was launched earlier this year. These workshops fall within MoHESR’s efforts to enhance the quality, efficiency and competitiveness of higher education.
The workshops aimed to clarify the framework’s pillars and key performance indicators, helping HEIs build a shared understanding of its components, application, and benefits. This supports education programme quality, strengthens self-assessment, and promotes continuous improvement based on clear performance indicators.
The OBEF marks a major shift toward improving academic quality by focusing on results and acquired skills rather than traditional inputs. MoHESR will continue to support HEIs through workshops and capacity-building programmes to ensure effective implementation of the framework and to strengthen the regional and global competitiveness of the UAE’s higher education system.
12 workshops within a gradual, multi-phase approach
CAA has held 12 training workshops this year in three phases, engaging 735 representatives from UAE-based HEIs. The first phase,
Introduction and Observations, focused on introducing the OBEF’s six pillars and key performance indicators (employment, learning outcomes, collaboration with partners, scientific research, global reputation and presence, and community engagement), including pilot visits from November 2024 to March 2025 to assess institutional readiness.
The second phase,
Condensed Technical Workshops, featured two-day technical workshops focused on designing performance indicators and data collection and analysis. Academics and institutional representatives actively participated, providing feedback and raising questions about practical implementation.
The third phase focused on
OBEF Updates and Data Integration, discussing revisions based on feedback from HEIs and strategic partners and explaining MoHESR’s new electronic system for linking institutional and Ministry databases.
These workshops reflect the strong cooperation between MoHESR and HEIs, demonstrating the Ministry’s commitment to enhancing academic quality, supporting institutions to design flexible and effective programmes and promoting a knowledge-based economy driven by excellence and innovation through performance- and outcome-based frameworks.
19/11/2025