Under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, the Department of Science and Scientific Research organized, on May 8-9, 2024 at ALECSO headquarters in Tunis, a regional workshop on “Improving the Ranking of Arab Universities in Arab and International Rankings and the Mechanisms to Apply for Arab University Ranking and International Accreditations”, with the participation of a number of university presidents and heads of ranking and accreditation institutions.
After welcoming remarks by Dr. Mohamed Sanad Abu Darwish, Director of the Department of Science and Scientific Research at ALECSO, Chairman of the Regional Workshop’s Preparatory and Scientific Committee, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, delivered an opening statement in which he indicated that ALECSO, since it was mandated by the 28th Arab Summit, held in Jordan in March 2017, to follow up on the implementation of the Arab Strategy for Scientific Research, Technology and Innovation, has worked to achieve all the goals spelled out in it, through various qualitative, practical and sustainable projects and initiatives. Aware of the scientific, research and academic wealth possessed by Arab universities, he added, ALECSO, jointly with relevant Arab and international organizations, bodies and federations, has spared no effort to advance higher education in the Arab world. He highlighted the central importance that ALECSO attaches to enhancing the status of education, developing academic specialties, producing qualified graduates, as well as strengthening the marketing capacities of universities and modernizing their academic curricula.
Through this workshop, ALECSO sought to strengthen the capacities of accreditation/ranking officials in Arab universities, especially with regard to the norms and standards of global and Arab university ranking/accreditation, as well as the way to apply for ranking/accreditation, and to move up in rankings. It also aimed to :
- Ensure the quality of university education and its outcomes;
- Ensure continued educational reform and improvement by providing the needed support and guidance;
- Evaluate the university’s academic performance and its ability to meet expectations in terms of higher education development.
- Strengthen the research capacities of Arab universities, attract international students, and improve their position in major international rankings;
- Improve the academic and scientific outcomes of university graduates, supply them with knowledge and courses that meet the requirements of international accreditations for academic disciplines, and prepare them to be competitive in the global job market.
The workshop was attended by participants from Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Libya, and Mauritania, and a number of CEOs and representatives of Arab federations and international academic ranking/accreditation institutions, including:
- Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation (FIBAA) - Germany
- Accreditation Service for International Colleges (ASIC) - UK
- QS World University Rankings - UK
- Times Higher Education - UK
- Accreditation Agency in Health and Social Sciences (AHPGS) – Germany.
- Association of Arab Universities
- Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils
- Jordanian Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission for Higher Education Institutions (AQACHEI)
