Media Release
Ajman, Nov 6: Gulf Medical University (GMU), here, the biggest private medical university in the Middle East region on November 5 celebrated its 21st anniversary with a cake-cutting ceremony and a tree-planting event at the university campus.
The ceremony was attended by Dr Thumbay Moideen – Founder, president Board of Trustees GMU, Prof Hossam Hamdy – Chancellor of GMU, Prof John R Raymond – President and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin, USA and member of the Board of Trustees, GMU Prof Manda Venkatramana - Vice-chancellor Academics, the deans of the colleges of GMU as well as other staff and students.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Thumbay Moideen said that he was grateful to the Almighty, the rulers of the country and his team at GMU, for the continued success and growth of the university. “The completion of 21 years is a significant landmark for Gulf Medical University, as we transform into a leading academic health system delivering futuristic medical education at the same, providing state-of-the-art healthcare and leading innovative research.”
Elaborating on the future strategic directions of GMU, Prof Hossam Hamdy said, “GMU is committed to producing healthcare professionals of the future. We are now moving toward becoming a research-intensive university. The type of research which we are running here in cancer immunology and genetics is a very important area. The science of medical education, focusing on the futuristic views of education is another important area of research at GMU. We have the highest number of publications, in reputed journals, regarding medical education; how to build medical schools and health professionals of the future.”
Prof John R Raymond said that he was impressed with the growth of GMU and its approach to medical education and research. “GMU is a dynamic organization. The quality of the faculty and students are quite outstanding. They are deeply committed to doing things collaboratively and innovatively. The student community here is a fine example of inclusion and diversity, which brings strength to the institution. What impresses me the most is the vision and the leadership of GMU. The university also places a lot of emphasis on inter-professional education, blending real-world skills with modern technology. Besides, there is a remarkable synergy between the academic health centers that constitute the GMU Academic Health System.”
A neem tree was planted in the university campus during the 21st anniversary celebrations, as a symbol of growth and purification.
GMU has collaboration agreements with around 68 top international universities in Europe, United States, Japan and Far East, giving the students opportunities for training abroad. Graduate programmes are now being offered jointly and in collaboration with the University of Arizona, United States, Virginia Commonwealth University, United States, Medical College of Wisconsin, United States, FAIMER, United States, CenMedic, United Kingdom and Tokyo Medical and Dental College, Japan. GMU also provides merit-based scholarships to students.
Offering a total of 26 accredited programmes through its six colleges, the university has been at the forefront of attaining international recognition, some of the recent ones being the College of Medicine’s recent accreditation based on ‘World Federation of Medical Education’ standards, becoming the first in the UAE and the Gulf region to achieve this feat. The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programme offered by the College of Pharmacy was recognized by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), making it the first internationally certified entry-to-practice PharmD programme in UAE. Recently, GMU also hosted the prestigious MRCPUK PACES (Practical Assessment of Clinical Examination Skills) exam in collaboration with the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom, joining the exclusive list of international PACES exam centers in the region.