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.