Higher Education Council, Quacquarelli Symonds sign MoU

Manama, Nov. 10 (BNA):  Dr. Mohammed bin Mubarak Juma, Minister of Education and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Higher Education Council (HEC), received Nunzio Quacquarelli, Founder and Co-Chairman of the UK-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), one of the world’s leading quality of education rankings and higher education quality development.

During the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the HEC and QS. The MoU was signed by Dr. Diana Al Jahromi, Secretary-General of the HEC, and Dr. Ashwin Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer of QS.

The Minister emphasised that signing the MoU aligns with the HEC’s efforts to enhance the competitiveness of higher education institutions in the Kingdom and expand international cooperation with global expertise in university ranking mechanisms.  He noted that this partnership represents an important step towards developing the institutional and research capacities of national higher education institutions and strengthening their international presence.

He explained that the MoU covers diverse areas of cooperation, including capacity building in higher education institutions, enhancing institutional performance and global rankings, and collaborating on international promotional initiatives in partnership with prestigious universities and educational institutions.

For his part, Quacquarelli noted that the partnership represents an important step towards enhancing quality and transparency in academic performance and expanding the international cooperation network for higher education institutions.