Introduction

Global Studies University was established in 2023 as a non-profit institution for higher education by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.

Under the leadership of President Hoor Al Qasimi and Chancellor Salah M. Hassan, GSU’s creation aligns closely with the National Higher Education Strategy 2030 and the National Agenda 2021, recognizing the UAE’s unique role as a hub of cultural, economic, and social interchange. GSU is committed to building and achieving the highest standards in global studies education to serve both the UAE’s future generations and international graduates who will become ambassadors of the UAE worldwide. The Investment in Knowledge initiative, part of the National Higher Education Strategy, aligns with GSU’s mission to increase the number of PhD students by enhancing support for postgraduate funding.

Historically, the UAE and the wider Gulf region have served as a convergence point for peoples and cultures, a pattern that continues today through migrations, tourism, pilgrimage, and other forms of exchange. The establishment of GSU reflects the continued recognition of this rich and diverse cultural tapestry, along with the ambitions and visions of the UAE. GSU is envisioned as a network of semi-independent yet interconnected interdisciplinary institutions and colleges, each focusing on different regions of the world. This network includes The Africa Institute, College of African Studies, established in 2018, and the soon-to-be-established Asia Institute, College of Asian Studies. Similar institutions and colleges focusing on other regions, such as the Americas, Europe, and Oceania, are planned to follow.

The aim of these institutions is to concentrate on teaching, research, and the documentation of histories, cultures, and peoples from different regions of the world, particularly the Global South, which comprises the majority of the population in Africa, Asia, Pacific Islands, and Indigenous territories in the Americas, all of which were formerly under Western colonial influence.

With the UAE’s growing ambition to become the region’s cultural and educational hub and its focus on building a knowledge-based economy, the natural progression is to establish and strengthen postgraduate education and specialized research universities. GSU is the product of this ambitious vision. It is set to play a vital role in training a new generation of critical thinkers in the UAE and globally. Students will be educated to focus on local and regional issues while understanding and framing them within a global context. GSU’s postgraduate curriculum, at both the master’s and doctoral levels, is designed to promote interdisciplinarity and interconnectedness, encouraging a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of global issues. For more information on how GSU aims to fulfill this vision, please visit our Vision and Mission pages.

The curriculum at GSU addresses the most vital and pressing questions related to global studies, spanning the full breadth and depth of the humanities and social sciences. It blurs traditional disciplinary boundaries by advancing interdisciplinary methodologies and thought processes, identifying key, intersecting thematic fields and areas. Additionally, with an emphasis on the teaching of non-Western languages and translation to graduate and undergraduate students, as well as to the public, GSU provides its graduates with a vital understanding of local contexts, relevance, and deep-rooted connections. GSU anticipates enrolling students from the UAE and various global regions. Its graduates are expected to make a lasting impact on the ways research and teaching in the social sciences and humanities are conducted and how knowledge is produced.