In an exclusive interview with Gulf Insider, Dr. Hasan Almulla, President of the University of Technology Bahrain (UTB), shares insights on UTB’s journey of growth, innovation, and dedication to excellence in higher education.

What key strategies have contributed to the university’s success and growth over the past year?

Our approach relies on three main priorities. First, we focus on the quality of teaching and learning, ensuring that our academic foundation is well-structured. Secondly, we focus on aligning with the industry, guaranteeing that our students are equipped with relevant skills to secure employment upon graduation. Our third priority is fostering strong community engagement across all levels. We have a joint committee in all programmes consisting of representatives from the specific industry. We act according to their advice to stay ahead of changing trends in the labour market and ensure our programmes are relevant.

What have been the most significant highlights for UTB in the past years?

One of our key projects is the Olympic Aquatics Centre, set to be completed within the next year. This initiative is a collaboration with World Aquatics and the Bahrain Olympic Committee, with the idea of establishing an aquatic centre of excellence with Olympic-standard facilities. The centre will also invite international students to study at the university while training for the Olympics.

At the same time, we are developing premium student accommodations, comprising 150 high-quality studio apartments. We are also equipping the whole campus with state-of-the-art technologies to support hybrid online learning in line with the Higher Education Council’s guidelines.

We recently received the approval to launch two new Masters programmes – in Digital Marketing and Logistics and Supply Chain Management Supply Chain Management. Our studies have shown a significant demand for the digital marketing programme, considering its prevalence in every industry. Our focus is on serving not just Bahrain, but all of GCC. The Logistics and Supply Chain Management programme, on the other hand, will equip students with advanced management skills. We’re looking forward to launching these programmes in January.

Since we last spoke, what are some of the educational innovations implemented at the University that promote quality education?

We’ve been developing new teaching strategies to make sure students are more engaged and move away from the traditional classroom experience. We have introduced project-based learning, which encourages students to collaborate in groups and learn more contextually, developing skills for more than just exams. Additionally, we have introduced an Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP) for the welfare of the students.

We also organise an exhibition day where we invite people who are supporting us. Students who are interested and are developing their own businesses or projects have an opportunity to showcase their projects ready to be funded.

How does UTB leverage its social media presence to engage with the community?

We focus a lot on maintaining an active and engaging social media presence. We make sure that every post reflects our brand. We engage with our community and update them through event coverage, sharing our achievements, and appraising the community at every step. Nowadays, we’ve been showcasing a lot more behind-the-scene activities featuring students, faculty, and management. We strive to remain authentic and accessible to our audience. The takeaway is that if there’s something you want to do better, social media is your best mirror. People can give you instant feedback.

What types of professional development and growth opportunities does UTB offer to its faculty to ensure they remain leaders in their fields?

We provide extensive training opportunities for our faculty. We also fund their research, publications, and conference participation. We also host an annual conference in business and engineering.

While having top-notch facilities is important, we believe that the true measure of excellence lies in the quality of teaching. Therefore, we are committed to continuously updating our faculty’s skills to ensure they deliver the highest standards. This ongoing commitment enables us to remain leaders in the field.

Looking back at your own educational journey, how have your experiences shaped your vision for UTB’s future growth and success?

With nearly 25 years of teaching experience, I have an understanding of what is effective in a classroom. I studied through a problem-based learning approach, which is a fantastic way of learning. I was also part of the founding team of Bahrain Polytechnic in 2008, which was an invaluable experience.

Additionally, I completed a great leadership course at Harvard, which was a fantastic opportunity for growth. As a university president, many of the skills I’ve developed through these experiences are crucial for effective leadership.