RIYADH, 1 June 2005 — In order to provide job opportunities for Saudis and check the influx of migrants into Riyadh, a new college of business administration with German collaboration will come up at a site in the 266 sq. km industrial estate in Sudair, over 200 km from Riyadh in the Central Province.
This was announced at a seminar on the educational experience of Bremen, one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany, held at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce & Industry on Monday night. The presentation was given by Professor Dieter Leuthod, vice dean, School of Business and Management, Hochschule Bremen University of Applied Sciences (UAS).
Hussein Al-Athel, secretary-general of RCCI, senior chamber officials and a large number of Saudi businessmen were among those present. The Saudi-German educational project, said to be the biggest of its kind, is expected to be completed by 2008. It will be developed in tandem with the Sudair Industrial Estate, whose first phase will also be operational by then. The college, and later on the university, will be funded entirely by RCCI members.
Chamber officials told Arab News that the landmark project represents the Saudi private sector’s major initiative in creating high quality educational facilities for young Saudis and enabling them to set up their own enterprises in the new industrial township. At the same time, it will diversify the Kingdom’s educational base and reduce reliance on the United States and Britain, the major destinations for Saudis pursuing higher education abroad.
Al-Athel said the college will offer courses mainly in applied business and applied science. “We have selected Bremen University as our partner, since it has established itself as a center of academic excellence in those areas. We selected Sudair as the location for this project in order to be close to the industrial estate in that area. Admission of students will start three years from now. It will be the first step on the road to its enlargement as the Saudi-German University.”
Elaborating on the theme, Dr. Muhammad Tarabzouni, director, Department of Technology at King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology, said the proposed university will start off as a College of Business Administration in the first phase before it is upgraded into the Saudi-German University at a later stage.
“It will follow the market demand in the formulation of its academic program. Based on this criterion, separate colleges of nursing, tourism and IT will be added under a phased plan,” he explained.
In his presentation, Professor Leuthod said the proposed Saudi-German University will have English as the medium of instruction.
“We shall encourage our member colleges in Germany to be a partner in this project,” Professor Leuthod said, adding that they have set up a steering committee, with eminent members drawn from both sides, to carry forward the project.
