An academic delegation from Brunel University, London headed by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Julia Buckingham has paid a visit to Bahrain.
During the visit, a ceremony was held at Ahlia University in which a number of academic cooperation agreements were signed by Prof. Abdulla Al Hawaj on behalf of Ahlia University and Prof. Julia Buckingham, on behalf of Brunel University. The agreements aim at further reinforcing the well-established relationship between the two universities and to take it a step further towards integration in many areas including faculty and student exchange as well as academic research works.
The signing ceremony was attended by the Deputy British Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Mr. Ross Dixorn; representatives from the British Council and UK Trade and Investment Council; Prof. Bakr Hassan, Ahlia’s VP for Academic Affairs; Prof. Zahir Irani, head of Business School at Brunel University and a number of officials from both universities.
In a press statement on this occasion, Professor Al Hawaj said: “the renewal of cooperation agreement with Brunel University confirms the success of the doctoral program in management, provided by Brunel University and administrated jointly with Ahlia University. Through the “PhD Without Residence” programme, students finish all stages and requirements in Bahrain through a supervisor from Ahlia faculty and another from Brunel. So far 11 students from Bahrain and the GCC have successfully earned their doctoral degree through this programme,” he said and added “We are proud of our association with Brunel University and hope that the new agreements will further reinforce the relationship between the two universities,”.
On her part, Professor Julia Buckingham expressed her happiness to be in Bahrain and thanked Ahlia and Prof. Al Hawaj for their hospitality. “I am proud of the long standing academic cooperation and partnership between Brunel and Ahlia,” she added. “The new agreements will further expand the areas of cooperation with Ahlia for the benefit of students in both universities”.
During Professor Buckingham’s visit, the Bahrain Chapter of Brunel University Alumni was officially inaugurated in the presence of tens of Bahraini students who earned their degrees of all levels from Brunel University in the U.K. The ceremony was also attended by Ahlia academic and administrative staff and a number of distinguished guests from academic and business communities in Bahrain.
During the launch party, Prof. Al Hawaj and Prof. Buckingham participated in honouring students from Bahrain and other Gulf states who graduated from the Ahlia-Brunel Ph.D. programme.
Manama: 16 May 2013
