JEDDAH, 21 June 2005 — Dar Al-Hekma College celebrated its third annual graduation yesterday. Seventy-seven graduates received bachelor’s degrees in Management Information Systems, Interior Design and Special Education. Thirty-three of the graduates majored in Management Information Systems.

What made this year’s ceremony different was the announcement of the first annual Dar Al-Hekma Award for Scientific Research which was given to the Saudi researcher Elham Abuljadayel. In addition, the college also announced the establishment of its own scientific research center which has been encouraged and supported by Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed.

“The academic programs that we offer now and in the future reflect the need for certain jobs in the labor market,” Dr. Suhair Hassan Al-Qurashi, dean of the college, said.

Many Dar Al-Hekma graduates have gone on to higher studies abroad where they have been admitted to such prestigious institutions as the London School of Economics and New York’s Columbia University. Some graduates who sought employment locally were hired in challenging positions with excellent salaries, often before they graduated from college.

Dr. Saleha Abedin, director of institutional relations and external affairs, said: “Dar Al-Hekma College is accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education in Riyadh. It has also been recognized by NARIC (National Recognition Information Center) in the UK and is seeking accreditation from ACICS (Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools) which is the largest national accrediting body in the United States.”

Beginning with 120 students in three majors in 1999, Dar Al-Hekma College now offers six majors including Management Information Systems, Banking and Finance, Interior Design, Graphic Design, Special Education and Nursing. The nursing department will graduate its first class next year. A degree in banking and finance is in the final stages of approval. The college plans to add new programs in legal studies, fashion design and journalism but these will take time since they require approval from the Ministry of Higher Education.

Dr. Sawsan Al-Majali, director or the nursing program, announced that the college’s nursing course would be in cooperation with the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Jeddah so that students can receive practical clinical training.

The nursing program in Dar Al-Hekma began in 2002. Dr. Kholood Al-Ashgar, director of the special education program, said that the program now focuses on two groups — those with learning disabilities and the gifted. Plans call for an expansion into autism as well as both mental and speech disabilities. “There is a need for teachers trained in special education,” she said.

Some of the college’s previous graduates spoke highly of their experience. Eman Binladin who graduated with a degree in MIS said that it was an amazing program which taught the same curriculum as in the US. Lina Al-Kheraiji, also an MIS graduate, said that students not only learned the business part but also other things that developed character and increased their knowledge.

Dr. Abedin said that 60 percent of the graduates have either landed jobs or gone on to pursue higher degrees.

During the last day of exams, external examiners from the private sector evaluated the MIS students’ final projects.

“It was an amazing experience to present our projects to judges from the real business world,” said Shahd Attar to Arab News. “It took a lot of research but it was a very rewarding experience to produce something useful,” she said.

Hussein Tarhini, IT manager at Zahid Tractors, one of the external examiners, said that the results were impressive. “The majority were on a professional level and this reflects the college’s standards.”

Zahid Tractors opened a women’s section three months ago and already has five women working. “This is a demanding field but we have found women to be as capable and as committed, if not more, as their male counterparts,” Tarhini said.