Hamdan bin Mohammed e-University (HBMeU) has announced that it has recently received a high-profile delegation from the Open University of China (OUC) at its headquarters in Dubai International Academic City. HBMeU has been establishing strategic ties with leading academic institutions around the world as part of efforts to facilitate the transfer and exchange of knowledge and information and to strengthen the university's reputation as a global leader in the field of e-Learning. The Chinese delegation, which was received by Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of HBMeU, Dr. Ibrahim M. Bin Abdulrahman, Vice Chancellor, HBMeU, and faculty members, joined discussions with their HBMeU counterparts about academic best practices, delivery of high-quality academic programs and the use of e-Learning platforms to promote a culture of excellence.
The two parties also agreed to sign an agreement by the end of October 2010, which aims to encourage the exchange of knowledge through direct collaboration between faculty members and HR personnel of HBMeU and OUC, with the ultimate goal of establishing a joint virtual centre for research involving the two universities. HBMeU and OUC also agreed to cooperate in organising a series of scientific conferences, workshops and seminars, in addition to a regular exchange of information about academic programs and best practices that will help produce graduates who meet the requirements of the job market and can contribute to the establishment of a knowledge-based society.
Dr. Mansoor Al Awar also conducted a presentation that discussed the establishment of HBMeU, including the different phases of its development. The presentation also outlined the various achievements of HBMeU, which include obtaining national recognition and approval of its academic programs by leading accreditation groups and international organisations, and the signing of the scientific cooperation agreement with renowned universities such as Wisconsin and California Berkley in the USA; Bradford and Dublin College for Business in the UK, and the Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport.
Other achievements of HBMeU that were included in the presentation were the establishment of a publishing house that has published numerous books, scientific researches and six scientific magazines, and the launch of an electronic library that includes thousands of scientific books and periodicals. Al Awar also emphasised the importance of quality as a cornerstone for knowledge development, as he reaffirmed the university's strong commitment in this area. The presentation also noted that HBMeU is the first educational institution in the Arab World to obtain the membership of the Brussels-based European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) and the first outside Europe to obtain membership of the British Quality Foundation (BQF).
Commenting on the visit, Al Awar said: "HBMeU has achieved success in promoting the concept of e-Learning and in its efforts to become a centre for academic excellence, while the institution has also succeeded in establishing partnerships with leading academic institutions around the world. HBMeU's success can be attributed to the innovative model that it has adopted for its academic system, which has allowed the university to consolidate its position as one of the most important institutions in the area of e-Learning."
"The visit of the Chinese delegation reaffirms the strong reputation of HBMeU as a leading provider of high-quality electronic educational services, through which we seek to explore new opportunities to share our expertise and knowledge with other institutions by signing new partnerships and alliances around the world. We therefore welcome and encourage similar visits from other academic institutions to exchange best practices and experiences. This will enable us to develop advanced and innovative teaching and learning methods that will ultimately help us achieve our goal of establishing the university as the premier academic choice in the Arab World," he added.
Established with the motto "virtuality is reality", Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University offers a virtual learning environment that has been developed through extensive research and development by experts from all over the world.
HBMeU subscribes to the principles of the ISO 9000:2000, ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007 standards. The University seeks to constantly identify knowledge needs, research and develop programs, design appropriate delivery approaches and reach out to the masses by providing highly customised, appropriate, learner-friendly and credible learning opportunities.
