Manama, The Board of Trustees of the Higher Education Council (HEC), chaired by Dr. Mohammed bin Mubarak Juma, the Minister of Education and Chairman of the Council, held its periodic meeting.
The council approved several academic programmes for accreditation by the HEC, including those listed on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF)). The validity of the academic accreditation will remain in effect until the results of the next review cycle, in accordance with the procedures of the Education and Training Quality Authority.
The council also approved key indicators for the development of Bahrain’s higher education sector, focusing on institutional and programme performance quality, research and innovation, internationalisation, and academic mobility.
A decision was made to regulate the process of tracking graduates from higher education institutions, requiring these institutions to establish dedicated units to follow up with their graduates. These units will assess graduate employment rates, determin
e how well their acquired knowledge and skills meet labour market demands, track career progression, and gather feedback from employers on the outcomes of academic programmes.
The council also reviewed requests from higher education institutions and issued the following decisions:
– Approval for the Gulf University to offer a Master’s programme in Business Administration, with specialisations in Leadership and Strategy, Project Management, Digital Transformation, and Digital Marketing, to be taught in Arabic.
– Approval for the Applied Science University to introduce a Master’s programme in International Relations under the College of Administrative Sciences.
– Approval for Vatel Bahrain (International Hospitality School) to host a Master’s programme in International Hotel Management from the Vatel Group in France.
– Approval for the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance to reopen its Bachelor’s programme in Modern Financial Technology (Fintech), hosted by Bangor University in the United Kingdom, and
to rename the programme as Bachelor’s in Banking and Financial Technology.
– Approval for the Gulf University to introduce a Bachelor’s programme in Financial Technology and Investment Management under the College of Administrative and Financial Sciences.
– Approval for the Royal University for Women to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Abu Dhabi University in the United Arab Emirates.
– Approval for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) – Medical University of Bahrain to sign a cooperation agreement with Canyon Vista Medical University in Arizona, USA.
– Approval for the University College of Bahrain to sign an MoU with the Hashemite University in Jordan.
– Approval for Kingdom University to sign an MoU with Sultan Zainal Abidin University in Malaysia.
– Approval for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) – Medical University of Bahrain to sign a cooperation agreement with Christian Medical College Vellore in India.
– Approval for Ahlia University to extend its cooperati
on agreement with George Washington University in the USA.
– Approval for the Applied Science University to amend its cooperation agreement with London South Bank University.
– Approval for the University of Strathclyde – Bahrain to extend the term of its Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Khalid Al Hammadi, for two months following the expiration of the previous term.
– Approval for the Arab Open University to adopt a new organisational structure for its Board of Trustees, which will now include the university president within the council instead of as a separate position.
Source: Bahrain News Agency