RIYADH, 15 March 2004 — A delegation from the Ministry of Higher Education is in London to explore opportunities for e-learning programs in Saudi Arabia.
Allan Smart, a representative of the British Council in the Kingdom, said the delegates would look at various aspects of e-education and distance learning programs in the UK to see what can be done to launch them through Saudi academic institutions.
The move comes as Saudi students experience growing problems in the West. Last year, over 15,500 Saudis were pursuing higher education abroad, according to Dr. Abdullah Al-Moajel, who is in charge of the cultural relations department at the Ministry of Higher Education.
Of the total enrollment for higher education abroad, 6,744 students went on government scholarships, while the remaining 8,772 students went at their own expense.
Smart said the delegation would report back to the Minister of Higher Education Dr. Khaled Al-Angari. “We briefed the delegates on some aspects of e-education and distance-learning programs that might be relevant here. We are certainly not in the business of transferring one system to another place, but there may be something that, we believe, could be useful to the Saudi authorities. Distance learning will become an integral part of academic life in Saudi Arabia.”
Smart said a good example had been set by the Arab Open University in Jeddah, which has been working in collaboration with British Open University.
