Our Guiding Pillars
Villa College is the first private higher education institution of the Maldives. In 2007, it was founded by Hon. Dr. Qasim Ibrahim, Chairman of the Villa group, through the Private-Public Partnership Agreement with the government. From just 54 students in four classrooms, the College has since then expanded significantly, becoming the first in the country to offer franchise programmes through partnerships.
Open University of Malaysia (OUM) was the first international partner of Villa College, having contributed to creating the brand of Villa College in the community. In 2015, a new partnership with the University of the West of England (UWE) was established, which has proved to be the most fruitful partnership for the College. Since then, the College has signed to collaborate with numerous universities, the most recent most significant one being the agreement signed with Taylor’s University, which will introduce Culinary Arts as a new field of studies offered by Villa College. In the last few years, the variety of programmes Villa College offers has expanded immensely, offering programmes from high demand areas such as Masters in Counseling, and also offering programmes from niche areas such as Art and Design. Villa College will continue to strive towards meeting not only the needs of the society, but also the interests of the community.
Maldives began to face drastic changes at the end of the 21st Century in terms of education, when the number of high school leavers began to increase as the number of scholarship opportunities to study abroad began to decline. During a time when there were limited opportunities for higher education in the public sphere, Villa College established itself on equal footing with public higher education, redefining and leading the country’s private higher education.
Villa College began its historic journey on the 28th of January 2007, with the registration of its first institute, Villa Institute of Water Sports followed by the Villa Institute of Information Technology (VIIT) and Villa Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Studies.
Villa College has 3500+ active students studying every semester, spread out over 8 campuses and 13+ learning centers throughout the Maldives. With over 150 programmes in various disciplines recognised both locally and internationally, all approved by the Maldives Qualifications Authority (MQA), the College is looking to develop even further as the leading private higher education institution in the country.
What we at Villa College believe in above everything else
We are driven by the
Needs
of the society
We affirm
Quality
as our principal priority
We strive to
Empower
people to be Creative and Innovative
We inculcate
Moral & Islamic
values
We maintain
Fairness & Integrity
in all undertakings
We endeavour to develop
Love For
Life-Long Learning
We promote a
Culture of Respect
& Harmony
We are determined to
Develop
a society with Responsible Citizens
Our Vision is to be the leading higher education provider in the Maldives, highly valued locally and recognised internationally.
Our mission is to sustain, develop and disseminate knowledge and understanding by providing internationally recognised higher education at an affordable price, through teaching, research, consultancy and training which develop intellectual capacity and values to the dynamic Maldivian community and economy.
The qualities we seek to develop in every student by the time they graduate
| Graduate Attribute | Academic Dimension | Personal Dimension | Interactive Dimension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Committed Professional | Academic Dimension Display appropriate ethical awareness in conduct and performance | Personal Dimension Manage self effectively and professionally | Interactive Dimension Demonstrate professional behavior and ethical practices |
| Competent Technology User | Academic Dimension Proficient in the knowledge and skills of contemporary technology | Personal Dimension Ready to learn and use new technology | Interactive Dimension Adopt contemporary technology to advance work practices and share knowledge |
| Critical and Reflective Thinker | Academic Dimension Skillful in critical reflection for problem-solving and creative thinking | Personal Dimension Adept at critical self-reflection | Interactive Dimension Contribute through critical reflection on interpersonal and societal issues |
| Effective Communicator | Academic Dimension Well-equipped with the knowledge and skills of effective communication | Personal Dimension Appreciate the complexity and power of language and data | Interactive Dimension Develop and communicate ideas and information effectively |
| Entrepreneurial and industry driven contributor | Academic Dimension Develop entrepreneurial mind-sets, behaviors and skills | Personal Dimension Self-disciplined to develop own enterprising and entrepreneurial qualities | Interactive Dimension Apply entrepreneurial qualities flexibly in different contexts to achieve desired results |
| Experienced Collaborator | Academic Dimension Aware of the need for interpersonal understanding for effective teamwork | Personal Dimension Value and respect others' view and sensitivities | Interactive Dimension Collaborate constructively and contribute positively |
| Independent Researcher | Academic Dimension Capable of undertaking authentic research | Personal Dimension Self-driven to seek new knowledge | Interactive Dimension Investigate issues and justify positions with use of evidence and logical argument |
| Innovation Solution Seeker | Academic Dimension Equipped with systematic methods and tools to pursuer new solutions | Personal Dimension intellectually curious and preserverant | Interactive Dimension Collaborate to seek creative solutions |
| Knowledge Expert | Academic Dimension Stay abreast of knowledge within own discipline | Personal Dimension Self motivate to develop & achieve full personal potential | Interactive Dimension Contribute discipline-relevant competencies, skill & knowledge |
| Participate and contribute locally and globally | Academic Dimension Responsive and aware of social and cultural norms | Personal Dimension Value diversity across cultures | Interactive Dimension Consider and act upon the social and global responsibilities of their actions |