 |
|
|
|
|
|
KL varsity to open branch in Saudi Arabia
|
|
|
Fri, Oct 17, 2008
New Straits Times
|
|
|
|
|
>KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - A Malaysian firm will be cooperating with one of Saudi Arabia's largest conglomerates to set up a university in the oil-rich nation. The university will be a branch of the newly-established Asia e University (AeU), a KL-based collaborative university ratified by the 30 Asia Cooperation Dialogue countries.
House of Advanced Quality Ltd (HAQ) and AeU yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding to establish an AeU branch in Dammam next year.
HAQ is a joint venture between local consulting company TQM Consultants Sdn Bhd and Saudi Arabia's Abdel Hadi Abdullah Al-Qahtani (AHQ) Group of Companies, which is involved in oil and gas supplies, construction, water bottling, agriculture and transportation, among others.
Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamad, who witnessed the MoU signing, said he was pleased to see AeU spreading its wings abroad, despite only opening its doors in January.
He said Malaysia would also intensify the promotion of other goods in the Middle East, especially palm oil and pineapples.
"There is a lot of potential for us to step up our exports to the region," he said in his speech.
At a press conference later, Mustapa said Malaysia would also look at marketing shrimps and tropical fruits to Saudi Arabia.
TQM managing director Dr Ranjit Singh Malhi said the AeU branch in Dammam would begin by introducing foundation programmes and then expand to include bachelor's and Master's degrees.
"We will produce graduates not only with job skills but also with soft skills to ensure they are more employable.
"Nowadays, degrees are not the criterion for hiring a person.
"A degree only gets you an interview."
AeU president Professor Datuk Dr Ansary Ahmed said courses would be open to full-time as well as part-time students and would be a combination of distance e-learning and brick-and-mortar campuses.
"We will start off by having courses in business, management and information and communications technology.
"We will eventually expand to include more fields."
He said that establishing the university would give people in Saudi Arabia more access to tertiary education, as the wealthy country only had 16 universities.
AHQ chairman Sheikh Tariq Al-Qahtani reiterated that the university would focus on quality students rather than just getting the numbers.
"We want quality, not quantity."
He said that the university would also be a boon to the five million foreigners in Saudi Arabia, many of whom have school-going children.
"Right now, most universities in Saudi Arabia only cater to citizens. This one will be open to everyone."
|
|
| |
|
STORY INDEX
|
|
|
|
|
|
