It is with great pleasure that we officially sign a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Sharjah. The official signing took place at the College of Health Sciences at the University of Sharjah, with representatives from both parties in attendance.

About the University of Sharjah

The University of Sharjah (UoS) was established in 1997 with the aim and vision to contribute to the qualities shared by renowned universities worldwide. The UoS is the largest in the UAE. It is ranked first among the top four universities in the UAE (QS and TIME Ranking) and first according to the Green Metric Ranking. UoS has 14 colleges ​and offers 122 programs across multiple academic disciplines. Courses are offered in various fields ranging from Sharia and Law to Health Sciences, Medicine, Fine Arts, Design, Engineering, and Communication. UoS offers multiple degree programs at the diploma, BSc/BA, MSc/MA, and Ph.D. Levels​ , as well as the Executive MBA (EMBA) program. Nearly 20 000 students are enrolled from approximately 100 different countries.

University of Sharjah

UoS has 175 Teaching and Research Labs and three campuses. In 2018, the reported total research income for three years was 43 million AED. The University is supported by many outstanding, well-known researchers and faculty in various disciplines. The UOS maintains a robust research and development infrastructure with state-of-the-art research platforms contributing to many patents and products. The UoS maintains global partnerships with elite educational institutions and industries to support further research and development.

UoS Organizational Chart

About the College of Health Sciences

The College of Health Science (CHS) was inaugurated in 1998 under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. After two decades, the College became the second largest at the University of Sharjah with more than 2000 students and is the leading College of Health Sciences in the UAE (as per the 2022 Times Higher Education ranking). The College is also distinguished by its research productivity and community engagement programs.

Recently College of Health Sciences celebrated 25 years of success. Read more about it here.

The CHS was established to educate highly skilled health workers in different specializations to fulfill the needs of the healthcare market in the UAE and the region. The CHS currently offers seven accredited undergraduate programs (B.Sc.): Nursing (Nsg), Physiotherapy (PT), Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics (CN&D), Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS), Medical Diagnostic Imaging (MDI), Environmental Health Sciences (EHS) and Health Services Administration (HSA). Also, there are four accredited graduate programs (M.Sc.): Medical Lab Sciences, Environmental Health, Adult Critical Care Nursing, and Physiotherapy.

The College’s plans include expanding Masters’s programs by adding an M.Sc. program in Medical Imaging, an M.Sc. in Applied Nutrition, and a Master of Public Health Program. The College also plans to launch its first Ph.D.-level program within the next three years.

About the Department of Physiotherapy

The Physiotherapy program in the College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, commits itself to the community, the physical therapy profession, and the students it serves. As a program, preparing professionals for direct patient/ client treatment is exciting and challenging, and we oblige ourselves to provide our students with quality basic and applied knowledge. We blend traditional and modern educational methods and provide early practical/clinical training opportunities in our clinical skills labs and at the bedside in hospitals and other clinical sites. We allow our students to train and work in interdisciplinary teams, conduct research, and work as community advocates and partners.

About the MOU

A 5-year-long MOU with UoS is signed to promote various objectives, such as joint projects and activities, education, and research. The team at UoS and HERC will work closely to enhance students’ experience and support them by creating research projects under mutual supervision. HERC will provide the latest updates and evidence-based approaches in Sports, Physical Education, and Exercise Science Education, as well as the improvement of hands-on skills in assessing and managing sports injuries for the students.

HERC Founder & CEO, Željko Banićević (left) and Dean of College of Health Sciences (UoS) Mohamed Alameddine (right)

The teams will work together in preparing local and international educational and research grant applications and will share their laboratories with research equipment. Another essential point in collaboration is the creation of mini-courses, workshops, and seminars that will be accredited and registered (DHA & MOH) with the idea of bridging the gap between science and practice for UAE physiotherapists and exercise professionals.

HERC Founder & CEO Željko Banićević, Ph.D.* and the Dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Sharjah, Prof. Dr. Mohamed Alameddine, sign the MOU in the presence of the Head of HERC’s Education Department, Dragan Stankić, Ph.D.*, Chair of the Physiotherapy Department, University of Sharjah, Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Moustafa, and Associate Professor of Physiotherapy, the University of Sharjah, Prof. Dr. Ashokan Aramugam.

Left to right: Dr. Ibrahim Moustafa (Chair of Physiotherapy), Dr. Mohamad Alameddine (Dean of Health College), Ph.D.* Željko Banićević (HERC CEO), Dr. Ashokan Aramugam (Professor of Physiotherapy), and Ph.D.* Dragan Stankić (Head of HERC’s Education Department).