THE Awards MENA 2023
"We are delighted to bring the 'Oscars of higher education' to the Middle East and North Africa for the first time.
Times Higher Education is proud to have played an integral role in recognising, supporting and incentivising excellence in global higher education and research since our foundation in 1971. One of the ways we do this is through our prestigious THE Awards, which spotlight the truly exceptional achievements of universities, teams and individuals in some of their most critical areas of focus, holding them up as beacons of best practice.
The scale, diversity and quality of the entries we received clearly justifies our decision to single out the region for special attention. Of nearly 270 entries from 13 countries or territories, our judges whittled down an inspirational set of submissions into 75 finalists and, ultimately, the 10 worthy winners.
This year is just the beginning. We hope that by giving these inaugural award winners their own space to shine, we will help not only to celebrate and showcase the good practice developed in the region, but also to spread it to neighbouring areas and beyond. We very much expect these awards to provide the case studies to inspire action in others and to help further supercharge one of the most exciting and innovative regions in global higher education. We are delighted to play our part in celebrating your excellence."
– Phil Baty, chief global affairs officer, THE
The winners were announced on 14 November 2023 – view an e-book profiling all the winners.
Click on the category names below to read abridged versions of the shortlisted submissions.
Watch the highlights video
International Strategy of the Year
Abu Dhabi University (winner)
Al-Ahliyya Amman University
Alamein International University
Lebanese American University
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (highly commended)
University of Sharjah
Leadership and Management Team of the Year
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
Lebanese American University (winner)
National University of Science and Technology, Oman
Qatar University
University of Tunis El Manar
Zewail City of Science and Technology
Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Leadership
American University in Cairo
Amity University Dubai
University of Balamand (winner)
The British University in Egypt
University of Dubai
Lebanese American University
Middlesex University Dubai
October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA)
Outstanding Contribution to Regional Development
Al-Ahliyya Amman University (winner)
University of Balamand
The British University in Egypt
New York University Abu Dhabi
October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA)
Palestine Technical University – Kadoorie
Saudi Electronic University
Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences
Outstanding Support for Students
Abu Dhabi University
Al-Balqa Applied University
American University of Beirut
Amity University Dubai
University of Birjand
Gulf Medical University (winner)
King Faisal University
New York University Abu Dhabi
Research Project of the Year: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Abu Dhabi University
American University in Cairo (winner)
The British University in Egypt
Hamad Bin Khalifa University (highly commended)
Middlesex University Dubai
New York University Abu Dhabi
Qatar University
Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI), Qatar University
Research Project of the Year: STEM
University of Balamand
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Middlesex University Dubai
New York University Abu Dhabi (winner)
Nile University
Qatar University
United Arab Emirates University
University of Sharjah, in collaboration with University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Student Recruitment Campaign of the Year
Abu Dhabi University
AlMaarefa University
American University of Sharjah
Egyptian E-Learning University
The Hashemite University
King Faisal University
Qatar University (winner)
Teaching and Learning Strategy the Year
Abu Dhabi University
Al Akhawayn University
American University in Dubai (winner)
Hamad Bin Khalifa University
Lebanese American University – Addressing knowledge gaps
Lebanese American University – Revamping the core curriculum
Prince Sultan University
Qatar University
Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year
Abu Dhabi University
Arabian Gulf University (winner)
The British University in Dubai
Gulf Medical University
Lebanese American University
Modern University for Business and Science
New York University Abu Dhabi
Qatar University