Empowering Women, Academic Leadership Is Our Goal: AARU’s General Director

By: Ibrahim Eldeeb and Maydaa Abo El-Nadar

SHARM El-SHEIKH, Mar. 25 (SEE), The Association of Arab University’s General Secretary Amr Ezzat said that the association is keen to empower women, academic leadership and create favorable educational environment.

At the opening of the association’s 52nd session, held at Sharm El-Sheikh in the presence of 122 Arab universities, he explained, “Regarding the association’s status, we have passed the phase of accumulating information to the stage of enhancing the scientific experience, and of modifying our strategic plan to make effective the sustainable development’s goals."

Ezzat added, “We are aiming to collaborate on providing a prestigious, comprehensive, and fair education."

Arab Higher Education Ministers’ Conference discussed some of the Arab League’s projects that include improving the education’s quality, facilitating visas’ procedures for universities’ presidents to simplify communication, agreements, protocols, and educational exchange across the Arab zone.

“Establishing an association for evaluation was suggested. On the other side, we hope to recover Sudan amongst our members,” said the General Director.

In this regard, the association contacted Sudanese officials to recover relations. On an international level, the association is doing its best to provide competitive abilities and marketing them internationally. Already some countries endeavored to obtain the quality assurance and accreditation from the Arab League.

He referred to a ranking program for the Arab universities (the Arab League conducted an experiment on ten universities) and established a scientific platform to publish the Arab scientific research.

He commended implementing Arab Researches’ Supporting Fund and investing in an Arab-European network to train the Arab leadership at universities.

“We contacted and held several meetings with Arab entities to finance the fund to support the Arab research projects that are important for the zone.

On her side, President of the Islamic University in Lebanon Dina El Mawla said, “Helwan University opened its doors to all the attendees and received them warmly.”

General Director of the Arab League-affiliated to the Arab Organization for the Administrative Development commented, “The league is preparing Arab universities’ graduates for the professional market.”