Mogadishu – President of the Federal
Republic of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud received at the Republican Palace in
the Somali capital Mogadishu the delegation of the Association of Arab
Universities headed by the Association’s Secretary General Dr. Sultan Abu Orabi
today, Thursday 16/8/2016.
During the meeting, facets of
cooperation between the Association and Somali academic institutions were
discussed and the Somali President welcomed the delegation and the pioneering
role of the Association of Arab Universities at the Arab and international
levels. He stressed that Somali universities are part of the Arab fabric, and
are in need of support from the Association as well as Arab academic
institutions and organizations to exchange experiences and improve higher
education in Somalia.
On his part, Dr. Abu Orabi stressed
that his visit to the Somali Republic is in line with the Association’s
approach of enhancing academic communication and cooperation among all Arab
universities all over the Arab World, and enables Somali universities to
benefit from the Arab and international academic activities organized by the
Association, in addition to benefitting from the academic councils, centers and
societies working under the umbrella of the Association. These bodies continuously
work to develop all aspects of the educational process, including leadership capacity
building, curriculum development, student and faculty exchange, publication of
joint research papers, and thesis supervision, among all areas.
Dr. Abu Orabi added that the
Membership Examination Committee, made up of the Secretary General Dr. Abu
Orabi as its chair, and President of Mogadishu University Dr. Ali Al Sheikh and
former President of Middle East University Dr. Maher Salim as its members, examined
the membership of Banader University, Al Jazeera University and Simand
University in the Solami capital Mogadishu. The committee reviewed these
universities in terms of the academic qualifications of the faculty members and
the logistical arrangements of each university in terms of instruction halls,
laboratories, libraries, student spaces, as well as the conditions for
acceptance and registration in every specialization. On the other hand, Dr. Abu
Orabi announced the membership reinstatement of the Somali National University,
which was visited by the delegation along with the Association’s Media and
Public Relations Director Mr. Waheeb Karajeh. Mogadishu University was also
visited by members of the Association.
In related news, Dr. Abu Orabi and
his accompanying delegation also met with the Vice President of the Federal
Republic of Somalia Mr. Mohammad Othman Al Jouri and the Parliament Speaker at
the Republic Palace following the visit, along with a number of ministers and
Somali officials who commended this historic visit as the first by the
Secretary General of the Association of Arab Universities.