JEDDAH, 18 September 2003 — When Prince Talal, president of the Arab Gulf Program for the United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND), first promoted the concept of the Arab Open University (AOU) in 1996, no one expected much success or growth. Just one year after its opening as an institution of higher education, however, AOU has experienced remarkable success. The number of students is expected to exceed 7,000 by October 2004 said Dr. Mohammed Munther Salah, the rector of the university. Arab News met Dr. Salah, who was recently in Jeddah to set up AOU’s new branch in the city. We asked him to tell us about the first Arab long distance education institution.
AOU is an independent institution of higher education in the Arab world which has branches in many Arab countries. “Our philosophy is to contribute to the higher education system.
“AOU offers opportunities to produce graduates who are capable of embracing the latest technology and who are also capable of working in a globalized economy,” said Dr. Salah. “In particular, we offer educational opportunities to everyone no matter where they are. We give housewives, employees and people in remote areas a chance for professional development and continuous education.” Dr. Salah emphasized that the name of the university indicates that it is for everyone, regardless of age, sex or nationality. “We admit all applicants who meet our academic standards as long as we have places for them.”
AOU, which teaches primarily in English, offers bachelor degree courses in four different disciplines: Information Technology and Computers, Business Administration in Economics or Systems and English Language and Literature. Education is taught in Arabic. Dr. Salah said there were plans to expand both programs and degrees. “In October 2004, we will start MBA programs and an MS in Information Technology.”
Many people wonder if AOU’s degrees are accredited and recognized. “AOU has signed agreements for cooperation and affiliation with the UK Open University (UKOU),” Dr. Salah told Arab News. “Our agreements with UKOU include three major areas: licensing of materials, consultancies, accreditation and validation.”
Dr. Salah also said that AOU is seeking regional and national recognition as well as international accreditation. “We are looking for a regional accreditation scheme with the Arab ministers of higher education. In September 2000, there were nine Arab countries which had approved the establishment of branches of AOU,” he said. AOU also has a collaboration agreement with UNESCO for establish a telecommunications learning network and a virtual library for the university, Dr. Salah said.
There still remains confusion between open universities and residential universities. Dr. Salah explained the difference by saying that AOU students are usually students seeking self-development and fulfillment, not merely positions. “80 percent of AOU students are housewives and employees while only 20 percent are new graduates. As you see, most of our students are people who already have jobs and aren’t looking for one.” Dr. Salah said that students in the open university have to realize that they will need to exert greater efforts than students in residential universities. “They should make efforts not to memorize but in learning how to approach sources of knowledge,” he said.
AOU has branches in five Arab countries. The AOU branch in Saudi Arabia has four regional offices. “We have offices in Riyadh, Jeddah, Ahsa and Hail,” said Dr. Salah. “We expect the number of students in all branches to double by October 2004. In Saudi Arabia during the same period, we expect the number of students to triple — with 2,500 in Riyadh, 1,500 in Jeddah, 1,500 in Ahsa and 500 in Hail.”
