رابطة المؤسسات العربية الخاصة للتعليم العالي

Association of Arab Private Institutions for Higher Education

Executive Office

President
Prof. Abdulla Yusuf Al Hawaj,
President of Ahlia University, Kingdom of Bahrain

Secretary General
Prof. Ahmad Nuseirat,
President of Ajloun National University, Jordan.

Members
President of Al–Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Jordan.

President of Irbid Private University, Jordan.

President of Ajman University of Science & Technology network, Ajman, U.A.E.

President of the board of directors Jerash University

President of the board of directors International University for Science & Technology, Syria

Background

The Association of Arab Private Institutions for Higher Education is a non-profit, non-governmental organization. It was established in May 1996 at the conclusion of a three-day conference held in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. The Conference was entitled “What Do Businessmen Need From Educationalists.”

The conference was organized by Ajman University of Science and Technology and held under the patronage of Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research at the United Arab Emirates.

Fourteen Arab educational private institutions representing the UAE, Jordan, Yemen, Lebanon and Morocco attended the conference. They shared the common perspective, that of establishing an association to enhance their contribution to Arab national development and, reinforce the relationship among Arab private institutions for higher education and the private sector.

Philosophy

The Association of Arab Private Institutions for Higher Education (AAPIHE) is primarily concerned with the long-term development needs of Arab private institutions for higher education. In its endeavor to implement this philosophy it seeks the following:

Community Involvement in the Educational Process:
AAPIHE believes that better understanding of the community and its growing needs, proper training of students and faculty members as well as strategic planning on the institute’s part to meet the market’s demand, can be attained through the integration of the business community (the private sector) and these institutes.

Quality of Higher Education:
The quality of higher education is directly linked to that of its input which may constitute the following:

  • The quality of students, their cultural background and their academic levels.
  • Admission policies and the numbers of students admitted each year.
  • The quality of programs and curricula offered by the institute and the practical implementation in terms of catering for community needs.
  • The scientific environment available to faculty members and university personnel in terms of research, training, incentives and awards.
  • The availability of technical and scientific facilities including, among other things, laboratories and libraries that serve the educational environment.
  • The extent to which the institute can establish ties with similar Arab and international academic organizations benefiting from exchange programs, training and joint research.
  • The Role of the Private Sector:
    The role of the private sector shall be emphasized in terms of providing financial, moral and practical assistance to private educational institutes to help them meet an increasingly competitive educational environment.

    Human and financial resources shall be directed towards the investment in scientific research and training. Assessment of market needs would lead to the introduction of alternative plans for the educational institutes to focus on. The latter would create new specialization fields and suggest specific student training that would accommodate the graduates with the ongoing developments. Furthermore, the research produced would serve both the needs of public and private academic institutions for higher education and assist the business sector in their future planning and expansion.
    To achieve this purpose, a fund shall be established whereby members of the Association and businessmen would contribute to cover the research and training expenses.

    Information Technology:
    The Association believes that the advancement and modernization of these institutions can only be achieved through the introduction of information technology as an important tool that would support strategies, improve the overall educational process and increase productivity.

    Access to Information:
    The proper flow of information and its accessibility to all members alike, would further strengthen these institutions and enable them to introduce modern methodology and techniques in all aspects of planning and implementation of the educational developmental process.