Abu Dhabi Police have launched a unique MA program in social work following the directives of Lt Gen Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

Zayed University was responsible for designing the program in cooperation with the Education and Social Support Centers Departments.

Col Mohammed Al Hosani, deputy director of the social support centers department asserted that the new program, which is the first of its kind in the Middle East, aims to provide qualified professionals who possess the ability to practice all social work according to the best international accredited standards, said a statement.

The two and half-year program also aims to enable its graduates to have intensive theoretical study and practical training in order to practice their profession in any country across the world, it said.

Col Al Hosani also noted that the police leadership is committed to providing best international practices and adopting them to better serve local communities and provide this academic sector with the best professional practitioners.

According to an agreement between the Ministry of Interior and Zayed University, the latter will start receiving applications from who are interested in the new program. The program comprises 60 academic hours after which the participants will graduate as professional and qualified social experts.

Those graduates will be the cornerstone of social work in the UAE and the Arab world. They will work on reducing the intensity of critical social issues in order to foster human welfare in general. The new graduates will be responsible for enforcing social justice and applying most modern findings and practices of psychological, philosophical, and social sciences in general.

Salah bin Abdul Rahman, head of admission and registration section at Zayed University explained that the university will provide the MA program in collaboration with the University of Texas at Austin. It is expected that the first batch starts in February 2015. The opportunity is open for any student from out of the MoI staff to join this new program, the statement said. – TradeArabia News Service