JEDDAH — Fifty-eight percent of students in higher education departments of Saudi universities are now women, Higher Education Minister Dr. Khaled Al-Anqari stated yesterday.
“This is a record rate for women’s higher education in the region. Forty years ago Saudi women had no opportunity to conduct post-graduate studies within the country,” the minister said, speaking to reporters after signing an agreement on an executive program for higher education with his Egyptian counterpart Dr. Hani Mahfouz Hilal.
Al-Anqari also said that there was considerable increase in the number of Saudi girls in all levels of education. He attributed this increase to rising awareness and progress in education in the country.
He said the accreditation of academic certificates from Egypt and other countries would be based on courses concerned and not on universities or countries.
“There are several foreign universities and institutes that are still unrecognized,” Al-Anqari said.
Yesterday’s accord was in line with a cultural agreement dating back to 1972. The accord encourages exchange of information, expertise, textbooks, documents, computer programs and other materials related to higher education.
The accord includes exchange visits and training at universities and institutes in both countries, especially in the fields of medicine and technology.
“The program is for two years and will be automatically renewed for another two years if either party does not raise objections,” Al-Anqari said.
Hilal disclosed his country’s plan to sign similar agreements with other Arab countries. “The main objective of this agreement is to promote higher education and create a suitable atmosphere that would allow Arab students to move from one university to another without difficulty,” he said.
At present, students are not able to join another Arab university because of differences in curriculum and educational policies, he added.
