In the Name of Allah, the Benevolent, the Merciful
Dear Colleagues at the Arab Open University in the kingdom of Bahrain…
Our dear Students…
The blessings of Allah be upon you…
Being here in my beloved Bahrain, at the Arab open university, it pleases me to send you my sincerest appreciation and warmest wishes of success and accomplishment.
You may know that the idea of founding the Arab Open university was first conceptualized by His Royal Highness, the late Prince Talal Bin Abdulaziz; may his soul rest in peace. It started as a concept in 1996, for the study of which an elite group of Arab education ministers, experts, and others convened. After considering all aspects of the project, they saw the possibility of its application. Yet, there had to be a strategic partnership with one of the internationally renowned entities, so this was crowned by signing a partnership with the Open University in the UK which pioneered in this kind of education since its inauguration in 1969.
This partnership entailed that the Arab Open University utilize the curricula offered at the OU-UK; including courses with powerful content, and within fields that are in demand on the labor market.
AOU-Bahrain’s Vision and Mission can be summed thus:
1. Disseminating collegiate education across the Arab World.
2. Reaching out to all of those who missed their chances in education, regardless of their age, gender, or nationality.
3. Endorsing the specialized fields required on the labor market.
Your University employs the open and blended educational systems, where the traditional education [face-to-face tutorial] for every registered course is blended with the learning management system through established technological channels.
AOU’s first branch was established in Kuwait. Hence it was selected as Head Quarters in 2002, and then other branches followed—currently, in nine Arab countries.
The learning and educational systems and the academic programs at AOU are evaluated every five years by a specialized committee whose members are affiliated to prestigious British universities.
Moreover, announcement of term scores cannot be made without prior meticulous review by external examiners who closely inspect students’ answer booklets and submitted assignments before endorsing grades. Your University is seeking to add new programs soon, after endorsing them by the concerned authorities; such as Accounting, Marketing, Cyber Security, and Networks.
There will also be postgraduate studies, as extensions of the specializations currently offered at AOU.
May Allah guide and bless all
Dr. Ghurmallah Al Ghamdi
President - AOU Bahrain