JEDDAH, 15 September 2004 — Effat College, a well-known girls college in Jeddah, and the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on establishing a new engineering curriculum for the college.
This comes at a time when women’s roles in the future of the Saudi economy and social development continue to expand. The initial purpose of the agreement is to carry out collaborative activities between Effat College and the Pratt School in order to further the common interests of both institutions. The target date for the first phase of the program is scheduled for the fall of 2004.
“We are excited about the new educational opportunities this partnership will bring and are proud to play a leading role in the ongoing development of Saudi society,” said Dr. Haifa Jamal Al-Lail, dean of Effat College. “It is an honor to work with such a prestigious institution and with such a talented group of engineering educators,” she added.
Further meetings will be held between Effat and Duke to develop components of the curriculum that will be integrated into Effat’s programs. Initial efforts will be made in the computer engineering field as Effat already offers degrees in computer science and information technology.
Pending approval by the Ministry of Higher Education, additional degree programs are contemplated in architectural design, biomedical engineering and electrical engineering. “These new majors have been introduced into this year’s curriculum and once we have approval, we will offer the majors beginning next year,” said Dr. Jamal Al-Lail.
