Education Minister: Japanese, Moroccan universities to open branches

Manama, Nov. 9 -- (BNA): Minister of Education Dr. Majid bin Ali Al-Nuaimi announced that the University of Bahrain (UoB) intends to open a branch here for the Moroccan-based "Al-Qarawiyyin" University, pointing out that an agreement has been concluded with a Japanese university to open a branch in Bahrain. Dr. Al-Nuaimi told "Al-Watan" newspaper today that the private higher education is currently inclined towards reformation and development assisted by the Higher Education Council "HEC" and its General Secretariat, stressing that Bahrain aims to introduce a scientific research plan to transform the Kingdom into an international research hub. The Minister said that the National Strategy for Research aims to transform the Bahraini economy into a knowledge-based economy, reduce Bahrain's reliance upon natural resources, pointing out that the fundamental reasons behind youth unemployment is latent in the incompatibility of programmes and skills between higher education and the labour market.