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About Global Studies University
Global Studies University is a postgraduate university dedicated to interdisciplinary teaching and research in the humanities and social sciences. Established in Sharjah in 2023 by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, GSU prepares critical thinkers to examine pressing local and global questions.
Envisioned as a network of semi-independent yet interconnected regional institutes, GSU builds on the success of The Africa Institute (2018) and will expand to include the Asia Institute and future institutes across the Americas, Europe, and Oceania. Together, they form a global hub for knowledge production and postgraduate training, with a strong emphasis on non-Western languages, interdisciplinary inquiry, and critical engagement with the Global South.
Explore Our Postgraduate Programs
GSU offers research-led postgraduate programs for students interested in questions that extend across regions, disciplines, languages, and intellectual traditions.
Admissions Open for Fall 2027
Receive guidance on program options, admission requirements, scholarships, and each stage of the application process.
Why GSU Could Be Your Campus
At GSU, you will study across disciplines, learn with international faculty, engage with language and global research networks, and make Sharjah part of your academic inquiry. Scholarships and student services support you throughout your studies.
Explore questions that cross geographic and disciplinary boundaries through research-led programs connecting the humanities, social sciences, and language learning.
Learn with internationally qualified scholars whose research spans regions, disciplines, and intellectual traditions. Through teaching, advising, and research mentorship, faculty support students as they develop their own areas of inquiry.
Through academic networks and partnerships, GSU fosters critical dialogue across the Global South and Global North and advances new approaches to global studies.
Integrate African and other non-Western language learning into your academic work to engage more deeply with texts, archives, communities, histories, and intellectual traditions.
Study in a city shaped by museums, libraries, archives, heritage sites, cultural institutions, and international public programs.
Scholarships are available, alongside academic advising, career guidance, and practical services that support students throughout their studies.
Marking 50 Years
Global Studies University carries forward the spirit of intellectual exchange that shaped the 1976 Afro-Arab symposium through interdisciplinary research, postgraduate education, and scholarship connecting regions, languages, cultures, and systems of knowledge.
December 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of such an historic gathering with a symposium on African and Arab relations, which will address the relationship between Africa and the Arab world in a more complex and nuanced manner that takes into consideration the complexities of such relations and their past, present, and prospects for the future. It will critically cover the current state and prospects of solidarities, collaborations, and mutually beneficial economic integration and exchange.
From Global Studies to Global Careers
GSU prepares students to apply interdisciplinary research, analytical, language, and cross-cultural skills across academic, cultural, diplomatic, policy, heritage, research, and public-sector settings.
Internships, career workshops, professional development, and guidance from the Office of Career Placement and Alumni Affairs help students connect their academic work with future study and career pathways.
Be Part of the GSU Community
At GSU, students join a growing and diverse postgraduate community shaped by intellectual exchange, collaboration, and shared inquiry. GSU’s student-centered approach provides academic, practical, and personal support from orientation through graduation.
Student services include academic advising, library and research resources, career guidance, health and wellbeing support, housing and transportation assistance, visa and equivalency services, registration support, and IT services.
A Campus Shaped by History
GSU’s campus in Al Manakh is housed in the former Khalid bin Mohammed School, a mid-1970s building organized around a central courtyard. Today, the 23,000-square-meter campus brings together classrooms, seminar rooms, libraries, archives, student lounges, exhibition and performance spaces, and outdoor areas for study and community life.
Africa Hall, inaugurated in 1976 and renovated in 2018, forms part of the campus and hosts academic, cultural, and public programs.
Student Voices
“The Ph.D. program offers both depth and support. Faculty guidance and diverse perspectives within the cohort enrich my research and provide a strong foundation for advanced scholarly work.“
Alya Rashid Burhaima
Ph.D. in Global Studies in Cultural, Visual, and Literary Studies (UAE)
“Faculty expertise and support provide clear guidance, while the Arabic language program builds confidence and proficiency. The campus, with its blend of heritage and modernity, creates an inspiring environment for learning.“
Lubacha Deus
MA in Global African Studies in Afro-Arab Relations (Tanzania)
“In a short time, I’ve grown as a reader more than ever before. The diverse readings, especially from African and Asian scholars, gave me a new appreciation for global perspectives and their contributions.“
Nasra Dahir Mohamed
Ph.D. in Global Studies in Cultural, Visual, and Literary Studies (Somalia)
“The program has been highly rewarding. Faculty support and expertise make classes engaging, research connects to real-world African issues, and the comfortable student housing makes settling in easy.“
Mustapha Njie
MA in Global African Studies in Diplomacy and Africa’s International Relations (The Gambia)
How to Apply
Our Admissions team is available to guide prospective students through each stage of the application process, from choosing a program to enrollment.
Review the available programs, tracks, admission requirements,
and scholarship opportunities.
Visit your chosen program page and click Apply Now to access
the admissions portal and begin your application.
Review your application and pay the non-refundable application
fee of AED 365 before submitting it.
The first 40 applicants to submit a complete application will receive a fee waiver.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an online interview.
View your admission decision through the applicant portal.
Successful applicants will receive an official offer letter.
Accreditation and Licensure
Global Studies University is institutionally licensed, and its MA in Global African Studies and Ph.D. in Global Studies are accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation of the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about programs, admission requirements, applications, fees, scholarships, and student services. For further assistance, contact the Admissions Office at admissions@gsu.ac.ae
Receive guidance on program options, admission requirements, scholarships, and each stage of the application process.
