UAE Centre – Academic Integrity UAE

CAIU SB Members 2021-2022

Chair of Student Board – Serene Regi John, Gulf Medical University, Ajman

Secretary-General – Sruthi Ramdas, Gulf Medical University, Ajman

Board Member – Sarah Mariam Wilson, Cambridge International School Dubai

Board Member and Acting Scribe – Krista Fidelia Fernandez, Al Diyafah High School, Dubai

Board Member – Rukaiya Shabbir Topiwala, Middlesex University Dubai

Board Member – Tisha Sajnani, University of Wollongong in Dubai

We thank Sara Azeem Khan from University of Wollongong in Dubai who served on the Board in Q1 and Q2 of 2021 as Secretary-General. During her tenure, Sara worked relentlessly to support CAIU as a scribe and in launching the Podcast for the Centre.

Are you a student in the UAE interested to join the Centre as a General Member? Register with us today: https://forms.gle/RHgMAMBaV9fLvW6i8

CAIU Student Board

Est. 24 February 2021

Academic integrity is the foundation of education as it ensures the quality of the education and degree awarded, the knowledge and skills taught. It provides transparency, acceptability and trust in the values instilled in graduates who represent the future contributors, decision makers, entrepreneurs, policy makers and world leaders of society.

The Centre for Academic Integrity in the UAE (CAIU) represents a group of academics based in the UAE, who have come together to work independently and voluntarily for the benefit of the greater community. CAIU achieves this by hosting awareness campaigns, conducting research and providing access to locally and internationally developed research tools for teachers and administrators on academic integrity.

CAIU works closely with international bodies, such as International Centre for Academic Integrity and European Network for Academic Integrity; and is recognised as a partner working in the field of ethics with ETICO (an International Institute for Education Planning (IIEP)-UNESCO web-based resource platform targeting the issue of ethics and corruption in education).

CAIU’s Student Board Rationale

CAIU recognises the important role students play in building a culture of integrity. Students are central to any activity, campaign or dialogue that is about academic integrity. CAIU values student voices, opinions and perseveres to be student-centric in its approach upholding values of academic integrity.

CAIU’s Student Board Members

CAIU’s Student Board (SB) is a sub-committee that reports directly to the Founding Board Members (FBM).

SB members are expected to be currently enrolled students at a school or university in the UAE with valid student ID.

SB’s purpose is to work as a cohesive group of think tanks from student perspective, conceptualize and support campaigns in their own campuses of CAIU events, campaigns and research work.

Meet our 2021-2022 Student Board!

Student Board manages the Active Committee (AC) of Students who support and report directly to the Student Board. Learn more about Active Committee here.

Are you interested to join the Centre as a General Member? Register with us today: https://forms.gle/RHgMAMBaV9fLvW6i8

About the Centre

UAE Centre for Academic Integrity (UAI). Est 2020.

Vision:

To bring together educators, students and industry to discuss, create and promote the culture of integrity across school and university campuses in the UAE.

Tree of Hope:

Integrity is a fundamental element of life, not just in education. Integrity helps develop individuals who are active and contributing members to society. It promotes responsibility and respect and helps us be more mindful and philanthropic. Teaching integrity begins at home, and then in the classrooms, corridors, playgrounds, canteens and beyond. But sometimes, when we are so caught up in focusing on what do – teaching content, we can often overlook the need to ensure integrity is embedded in our approach.

In 2016 the first seeds of an idea were sown. This notion of creating a possible Centre of Excellence began during the closing session of the first international conference on academic integrity, held at the University of Wollongong in Dubai. The late Professor Tracey Bretag and Dr Teddi Fishman, then President of Executive Board and President of International Centre for Academic Integrity respectively were instrumental in this. These scholars attended the conference, not only as Keynote Speakers but as catalysts for change in the region. They firmly indicated the need for a central body that would be supported collectively by local universities and run by faculty and researchers from within the country to benefit the greater community.

In the four years since this event, Dubai (UAE) has hosted a second international conference, European Network for Academic Integrity’s 6th International Conference Plagiarism Across Europe and Beyond 2020, and a series of awareness campaigns and events. We have seen a significant increase in interest among faculty and academics to initiate research, dialogue and conversation around issues surrounding integrity in academia.

The culmination of all of these factors has led to the launch of the UAE Centre for Academic Integrity (UAI). A founding group of seven teachers and researchers have come together to engage in this pioneering effort to support the greater community. The founding members have received tremendous support in this endeavor from national and international champions of academic integrity from Canada to Australia, USA to Europe.

The tree in our logo symbolises the stage we have reached in launching the centre. The tree has yet to bear fruit; but the path has been set and we hope to walk it with the community’s support.

-Dr Zeenath Reza Khan (President) & Dr Christopher Hill (Vice President)