It is a secret to no one that the
UAE – and Dubai in particular
– has one of the hottest property
markets in the world. A city of a
mere 1.5 million people, Dubai is
building almost as many megaprojects
(defi ned as over $500
million in value) as all other UAE
emirates and GCC countries
combined! (see chart).
To help train professionals
for this boomtown, as well
as neighbouring Abu Dhabi,
Sharjah and other emirates, the
University of Wollongong in
Dubai (UOWD) is introducing
a new 4-year undergraduate
specialisation in property
development and management.
“The programme will start
in September 2008, and we
are currently recruiting fulltime
professors for the course,”
explains Dr Lejla Vrazalic,
the chairperson of UOWD’s
business college. “They will
teach eight specially designed
subjects, in addition to general
business courses, under our
normal semester system. We
are also actively developing
links with local property
actors – developers, architects,
construction companies,
government branches – in order
to offer a palette of hands-on
seminars and practical student
projects for actual companies.”
The UOWD classes cover all
aspects of property development.
UOWD currently has
1,100 students enrolled in
undergraduate programmes,
of whom most are studying in
business areas including fi nance,
marketing, and management.
At the graduate level (Master’s
programmes), UOWD has 1,200
students. The university expects
about a hundred students
to sign up for the property
specialisation in the fi rst two
years.



