Duke of York launches partnership project

Manama, Apr.6 (BNA): HRH Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, today inaugurated a partnership project between the British University of Bahrain and The University of Salford, Manchester, which will see the new British University Bahrain (BUB) open its doors to students later this year. The ceremony was held at the headquarters of the British University in Saar and was attended by the Minister of Follow-up Affairs at the Royal Court, Shaikh Ahmed bin Ahmed Ateyatallah Al-Khalifa, the Education Minister and Higher Education Council (HEC) Chairman, Dr. Majid bin Ali Al-Nuaimi, and HRH the Crown Prince's Court President, Shaikh Khalifa bin Daij Al-Khalifa, as well as a number of officials. HRH the Duke of York hailed the establishment of the British University Bahrain (BUB) as the latest example of an enduring bilateral partnership with Bahrain that spans over 200 years. HRH the Duke of York noted that the new university represents a positive indication of the scale of cooperation between the two countries across a range of sectors and fields. HRH the Duke of York said that BUB will make a valuable contribution to Bahrain’s well-established higher education sector, adding new programmes and projects that will help stimulate learning across a number of academic disciplines. The Education Minister noted that the establishment of BUB reflects the HEC’s ambition to build partnerships with leading international universities and higher education institutions. The Education Minister emphasised that these partnerships directly contribute to sustainable economic development by supporting skills growth and by boosting Bahrain’s status as a regional destination for higher education. The Education Minister highlighted that the United Kingdom and Bahrain have achieved outstanding levels of cooperation in the higher education sector, noting in particular the existing partnerships with the British Accreditation Council, the British Higher Education Academy and the British Council. The Vice Chancellor of Salford University, Professor Helen Marshall, lauded Bahrain’s keenness on bolstering cooperation with leading higher education institutions to develop educational services. The Vice Chancellor said she looked forward to BUB making a positive impact on the lives of students in the Kingdom, helping them build the skills and knowledge they need to meet the requirements of the global labour market and contribute to Bahrain’s sustainable development. BUB Vice President Professor Keith Sharp stressed the university’s readiness to commence services in the coming school year, with the university due to launch a range of academic programmes including bachelor’s degrees in accounting, finance, project management, computer networking and civil engineering. During the inauguration ceremony, a cooperation agreement was signed between BUB and Batelco.