Experience our Online Learning Journey
2011
- Started off providing distance-learning programs in quality management to local ministries, like the Ministry of Interior.
- Won the bid to host the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) Standing Conference of Presidents (SCOP) meeting in September 2012.
2012
- Established the University’s annual flagship conference, Innovation Arabia.
- Contributed to formation of the Open Education Resources Declaration (OER) at the UNESCO World Congress for Open Educational Resources in Paris.
- The first University in the UAE to host the Presidents of 150 universities about the issues facing online learning in the middle east at the ICDE SCOP meeting in Dubai Academic City.
2013
- Launched the online learning platform ‘Cloud Campus’ through Facebook.
- Received awards for achievements from the Tatweej Academy Excellence Awards and the 25th ICDE World Conference.
- HBMSU launched the Dubai Centre for Excellence in Islamic Banking & Finance(DCIBF), to support the ongoing efforts to establish Dubai as the world’s Islamic economy capital.
2014
- Officially renamed to Hamdan bin Mohammed Smart University to be strategically aligned with future directions of the UAE Government.
- Launched a ‘Smart Learning Best Practices’ Forum and Partnered with the ‘Smart Living’ City Exhibition.
- H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the world’s first online Executive Master's in Business Administration (EMBA) in Islamic Banking and Finance, jointly delivered by HBMSU and Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC).
2015
- UNESCO names Dr. Al Awar as a Member of the Expert Committee of Digital Strategies for Higher Education in the Arab World.
- HBMSU’s flagship smart learning environment Smart Campus wins the Middle East Gold Category of Wharton-QS Stars Reimagine Education Award and second place at the ICT Support and Service Award category.
- Our Dean of e-Education Professor Abtar Darshan Singh wins an international competition organized by the UNESCO IITE on Innovative University Practices in ICT in Education.
2016
- HBMSU wins the Wharton-QS Stars Reimagine Education Award 2016 and the ‘Education Deployment of the Year’ at 7th CNME ICT Achievement Awards.
- Presented quality assurance aspects of educational technology initiatives at UNESCO Mobile Learning Week.
- Launched ‘Innovation Lab for the Future of Smart Learning’.
- Represented the UAE and the Middle East at the ‘Online, Open and Flexible Higher Education Conference’ (OOEFHC) organized by The European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU) in Rome, Italy.
2017
- Represented the Middle East region at the World Conference for Online Learning in Canada.
- Joined the Quality Network of the UNESCO International Council for Open and Distance Education.
- Became ISO 29990 compliant and became the first university in the MENA region to be recognized for ISO 22301 compliance in Business Continuity Management.
2018
- HBMSU launched the first-of-its-kind smart building, making it a connected campus, capable of adapting its environment to suit the building occupants.
- Signed a partnership agreement with the United Nations Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR) for joint collaboration in delivering professional development courses in leadership.
2019
- Became first in the Middle East to distribute graduation certificates on the Blockchain.
- Launched and showcased the Global Benchmarking Framework for Classification of Smart & e-Learning Universities at UNESCO Mobile Learning Week 2019 in Paris.
- Renewed the commitment to supporting the fourth goal of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
2020
- Covid19 Pandemic affected educational institutions all over the world.
- Joined Covid19 response to equip teachers from around the world with distance learning skills.
- Delivered two free courses on how to create and teach online.The course was taught in five languages Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Russian.
- 99,000 certificates awarded so far.
Experience our Online Learning Journey
2011
- Started off providing distance-learning programs in quality management to local ministries, like the Ministry of Interior.
- Won the bid to host the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) Standing Conference of Presidents (SCOP) meeting in September 2012.
2012
- Established the University’s annual flagship conference, Innovation Arabia.
- Contributed to formation of the Open Education Resources Declaration (OER) at the UNESCO World Congress for Open Educational Resources in Paris.
- Spoke to the Presidents of 150 universities about the issues facing online learning in the middle east at the ICDE SCOP meeting in Dubai Academic City.
2013
- Launched the online learning platform ‘Cloud Campus’ through Facebook.
- Received awards for achievements from the Tatweej Academy Excellence Awards and the 25th ICDE World Conference.
- HBMSU launched the Dubai Centre for Excellence in Islamic Banking & Finance(DCIBF), to support the ongoing efforts to establish Dubai as the world’s Islamic economy capital.
2014
- Officially renamed to Hamdan bin Mohammed Smart University to be strategically aligned with future directions of the UAE Government.
- Launched a ‘Smart Learning Best Practices’ Forum and Partnered with the ‘Smart Living’ City Exhibition.
- H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the world’s first online Executive Master's in Business Administration (EMBA) in Islamic Banking and Finance, jointly delivered by HBMSU and Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC).
2015
- UNESCO names Dr. Al Awar as a Member of the Expert Committee of Digital Strategies for Higher Education in the Arab World.
- HBMSU’s flagship smart learning environment Smart Campus wins the Middle East Gold Category of Wharton-QS Stars Reimagine Education Award and second place at the ICT Support and Service Award category.
- Our Dean of e-Education Professor Abtar Darshan Singh wins an international competition organized by the UNESCO IITE on Innovative University Practices in ICT in Education.
2016
- HBMSU wins the Wharton-QS Stars Reimagine Education Award 2016 and the ‘Education Deployment of the Year’ at 7th CNME ICT Achievement Awards.
- Presented quality assurance aspects of educational technology initiatives at UNESCO Mobile Learning Week.
- Launched ‘Innovation Lab for the Future of Smart Learning’.
- Represented the UAE and the Middle East at the ‘Online, Open and Flexible Higher Education Conference’ (OOEFHC) organized by The European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU) in Rome, Italy.
2017
- Represented the Middle East region at the World Conference for Online Learning in Canada.
- Joined the Quality Network of the UNESCO International Council for Open and Distance Education.
- Became ISO 29990 compliant and became the first university in the MENA region to be recognized for ISO 22301 compliance in Business Continuity Management.
2018
- HBMSU launched the first-of-its-kind smart building, making it a connected campus, capable of adapting its environment to suit the building occupants.
- Signed a partnership agreement with the United Nations Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR) for joint collaboration in delivering professional development courses in leadership.
2019
- Became first in the Middle East to distribute graduation certificates on the Blockchain.
- Launched and showcased the Global Benchmarking Framework for Classification of Smart & e-Learning Universities at UNESCO Mobile Learning Week 2019 in Paris.
- Renewed the commitment to supporting the fourth goal of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
2020
- Covid19 Pandemic impacted educational institutions all over the world.
- Joined Covid19 response to equip teachers from around the world with distance learning skills.
- Delivered two free courses on how to create and teach online.The course was taught in five languages Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Russian.
- 99,000 certificates awarded so far.
