Resilience and Recalibration: How Ajman University is adapting through regional uncertainty

19 June 2026

Victoria Winter, Director of International Academic Affairs, Ajman University considers how despite recent events in the Gulf, the University is adapting and moving forward.

When colleagues at partner institutions write to ask how we are holding up, I can hear the worry behind the question. My answer tends to surprise them: from where I sit, things are holding together better than I expected.

Why our students stayed

I was bracing for withdrawals. When the conflict escalated, my first concern was our international degree students — whether families would pull them out and whether we would see our mobility numbers collapse. That did not happen. A handful left, which is normal in any unsettled period, but the overwhelming majority stayed enrolled and kept attending.

When I ask them directly, the answer is consistent: they feel safe here. That matters enormously in my work. The trust families place in us when they send a student here is not something we manufacture — it accumulates over years, and is holding well.

An imbalance worth correcting

The more interesting development, from my perspective, is what this period has allowed us to do on the outbound side. Our partnerships have historically been weighted in one direction - we have built a strong reputation for attracting students and faculty from institutions around the world. That reflects well on Ajman University's standing, and creates an opportunity for us to send more of our own students and academics out onto partner campuses in return.

What I am watching now

The immediate priority is being ready for the rebound in short-term programmes - having the agreements in place, the logistics sorted, and the capacity to move quickly. Alongside that, I want to hold onto the progress we have made on outbound mobility rather than letting it slide back. That balance is something I am paying close attention to.

When the region turns the corner, and I believe it will soon, I want the partnerships we have built to be in better shape than when this started — more active on both sides, and more genuinely useful to the students and academics moving through them.

The past few months have reminded me that international partnerships are more resilient than they look under pressure. The relationships that matter — the ones built on years of genuine exchange — have held. That is what I will be building on.