JEDDAH: Expatriate students can join three-year degree courses offered by King Abdulaziz University (KAU) in computer networking, insurance, marketing, sales, accounting, and pharmacy starting October at the university’s Jeddah Community College (JCC).
The new KAU move realizes one of the dreams of expatriate parents in the Kingdom.
Professor Ibrahim Kutbi, dean of the JCC, expects the courses to attract a large number of expatriate students who previously did not have opportunities for higher education in the Kingdom.
“The new academic programs offered by JCC are highly useful for expatriate students as well as working Saudis,” said Ahmed Al-Abdulwahab, vice dean for development.
Admissions would be strictly on merit and the six-semester course will cost SR45,000. But students who score high marks in the entrance exam — focusing on English and math — would be exempted from the first semester and would be able to complete courses in two and a half years.
The college initially intends to enroll 200 students (boys only) of different nationalities, said Irfan Ahmed, marketing manager. “We have offered these six programs considering their huge demands,” he added.
JCC will start admitting expatriate women students by 2012 when its new campuses will be ready, Al-Abdulwahab said.
The JCC recently invited principals and officials of international schools in Jeddah to inform them about its academic programs for foreign students. “The school heads welcomed the move,” Ahmed said.
“We have already established tie-ups with Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges System, and are in the process of signing a MOU with the Technical and Vocational Education and Training in UK,” Al-Abdulwahab said.
The JCC is currently in the process of becoming a Microsoft IT Academy. It has also become a candidate for international accreditation from the Council on Occupational Education.
The college will launch the six new academic programs from next semester; the courses are open for Saudis and non-Saudis. “These programs are offered in English,” Ahmed said.
Other community colleges are expected to follow suit by offering different programs for expatriate students. There are 52 community colleges across the Kingdom, providing different courses to meet labor market requirements. “Community colleges are a vital part of the postsecondary education delivery system,” he said.
