RIYADH, 3 February 2006 — Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University is finalizing arrangements to offer courses in English and computer sciences to Saudis.
Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al-Razin, dean of the Social Services and Continuing Education Center, said the courses were designed to meet the needs of Saudi society and to help Saudi students become proficient in English language required by the employment market.
According to the dean, students would be taught how to develop their communication skills, both written and oral. The program also aims at enhancing the proficiency of the academic staff and supervisors in the Ministry of Education as well as scientific institutions.
It will explore methods how best to teach foreign languages, management classes, and to upgrade translators’ skills in government departments. Computer science courses are also in the works.
The language center will be equipped with the state-of-the-art technology to facilitate language learning, the dean pointed out. The introduction of language and computer courses at the university represents an attempt on the part of the university to rebuild its image in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.
The university has consistently denied allegations that its curriculum encouraged extremism among students, some of whom were implicated in terror attacks.
The Saudi government launched last year its Saudi Home Computing Initiative (SHCI) under which one million PCs are to be sold to middle class Saudi families at competitive prices to promote computer literacy among them.
The coordinating agency is the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC), which has entered into the partnership covering the banking, STC and the IT sectors.
To this end, CITC has signed memorandums of understanding with a number of software companies and computer vendors.
Ahmad Sindhi, vice governor for IT at the CITC, said that since the initiative aims at equipping every Saudi family with a PC, preference would be given in the first stage to those who are married and have large families.
Availability of a land line is the minimum requirement to go online through dial-up services, which would be provided free under the initiative. Details can be obtained through the toll free number 800-116-8888 or through the website www.tawasul.com.sa.
Another objective of the initiative is to equip Saudi women with home PCs, so that they could either engage in e-learning or put their computing skills to commercial use as telecommuters.
With Saudi women constituting a little over six percent of the work force in the private sector, the government is striving to boost their presence in the work force through such initiatives. Imam University has also harnessed its resources in support of this objective.
“The CITC has licensed two additional Internet Service Providers for women. With this, DSL lines would be made available to women at their homes,” Sindhi said.
