The Value of “Team Spirit” in Higher Education and “The Support” of the Ministry of Finance

Prince Talal: “The Custodian of the Two Holly Mosques was the first to support the idea of the Arab Open University and the Kingdom should benefit from the outcome of its “successful Branch” Prince Talal Bin Abdulaziz – the president of the Arab Gulf Program for Development (AGFUND) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Open University- assured that King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz , the Custodian of the Two Holly Mosques, was among the early supporters and patrons of the Arab Open University idea. In addition, the King also gave his guidance for the establishment of the Kingdom’s branch due to his conviction of the social, economic and cultural benefits of this non-profit university. Prince Talal also stressed upon his care for the fact that the Kingdom should benefit out of “the university’s outcome and its consequences” His Highness said that the Custodian of the Two Holly Mosques is the biggest supporter of this project, via his kind opening of a donation campaign that was organized by the University for the Buildings Project, and by his generous donation of one million Saudi Riyals. This came within the celebration sponsored by His Highness on Saturday’s evening on the event of graduating a number of classes from the university’s branch in Saudi Arabia In the speech delivered by Turki Bin Talal – the personal representative of His Highness – Prince Talal expressed his thanks to His Excellency the Minister of Higher Education / Dr. Khaled AL-Ankary and said that the team spirit prevails over the cooperation between the ministry and the university and that the ministry provides all the devoted efforts that are committed to the institutional work, the matter which enables the university to fulfill its mission. Just as well, his Highness thanked the Ministry of Finance in the Kingdom for the appreciated support with which it provides the university. Prince Talal also clarified that 90 % of the University’s money is Saudi Money in the terms of the Kingdom’s being the biggest supporter of AGFUND and normally the university is one of AGFUND’s fruitful outcomes. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Arab open University described the Kingdom Branch as being “successful” and added that the students of this branch along with its regional centers (Dammam – Hail – Al-Madinah and Jeddah) represent 40 nationalities and form almost half the number of the students in the University including its other six branches (Jordan – Kuwait – Al-Bahrain – Lebanon – Egypt and Amman). Prince Talal pointed out that the Kingdom’s branch building project is about to enter the establishment phase after commencing the project’s foundation throughout the approaching days. The Prince also confirmed that the concept of “team spirit in work” enables the overcoming of any difficulties that may result from the novelty of the open education style. The president of AGFUND stressed that the Arab Open University by its reliance upon quality and feeling the needs of the society in terms of beneficial specializations, shall always be in the lead in order to put right the reputation of the Arab higher education and increase its role in human development, which is considered as the key to every kind of development and reform. In the speech delivered by His Highness, Prince Talal also noted out that the university is one of the symbols of the Arab unity that comes within the frame of sciences and knowledge, and added that the university is a dream comes true via the alliance with the biggest Open University (the British Open University). In addition, he also pointed out that the students of the university represent categories of the Arab societies of both genders and of all ages, as well as those of special needs and the residents in remote areas, all of whom sit at the same time to have the same exam in seven Arab countries and they also follow one administration and one system.

Prince Talal: Graduates of the “Arab Open University” are a qualitative addition to the business market Prince Talal Bin Abdulaziz, President of the Arab Gulf Program for United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND) and Chairman of the Arab Open University, stressed that the Arab business market faces severe competitive challenges in terms of quality. He expresses his hopes that the graduates of the Arab Open University shall be a qualitative addition with a scientific value in the business market. During his sponsorship of the graduation of the fifth class in the Lebanese Branch of the University,( 7. 11.2010) his Highness called graduates to continuously interact with the University “so as to have an effective role in its development and Arab extension as a manner of achieving its noble mission and objectives.” In the speech delivered by Prince Turki on behalf of his father the Chief of the Advisory Board of the University Buildings Projects, Prince Talal asked the Lebanese to transcend all their disagreements and all threats to their accord. He added “With a lover’s sincerity, I talk to my Lebanese brothers and call them to transcend all their disagreements and all threats to their accord and unity. Let’s wish for the return of Lebanon which we used to know as an outlet tainted with democracy, knowledge, freedom of expression and decent cohabitation.” His Highness asserted that development does not only mean to follow those who achieved progress in the various fields, but it is primarily the ability to mentor life turbulences and control its progress in the light of what we have, what we need, what already exists and what should be. Prince Talal added “the significance of the Arab Open University stems from its actual ability to participate in narrowing the knowledge gap resulting from the increasing demand on education in the Arab communities and women’s awakening and its tendency towards education. This matter represents a burden on our countries. He described the Arab Open University as “a societal necessity which proves its feasibility”. The Arab Open University is headquartered at the State of Kuwait with branches in the following seven Arab countries: Jordan, Bahrain, KSA, Kuwait, Lebanon, Egypt and Oman. A recent statistic revealed that the number of students exceeded 30 thousand male and female students. It is worthy to mention that the Arab Open University has achieved a high degree of acceptability in the Arab communities. Demand is increasing on the Trustees Board to set up new branches. It is expected that Yemen and Palestine shall have branches for the University.

USD$24 Million From AOU Branch in Saudi Arabia The Arab Open University (AOU) announced the initiative of Prince Talal Bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of Board of Trustees of the University, to present USD$24 million from the operational surplus of the branch of AOU in KSA and its regional centers, to support the project of building the AOU headquarters and its branch in Kuwait. This sum will be used to complete the largest part of the costs consequent to the phases of establishing this project. This initiative confirms that AOU with its headquarters in the State of Kuwait and its branches in seven Arab states is one and integrated educational institution in all the Arab states, aims at broadening the base of tertiary education in the Arab world, allowing the opportunity for the deprived and providing qualitative educational service adopt the modern methods in education as per visions aim at knowing the needs and requirements of development in the Arab world and attempting to fulfill them through graduation of qualified persons able to contribute in the development and advance of their societies. In that regard, Prince Talal praised the generous donation provided by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques of SAR100 Million. Further, he praised the support and aid given to the AOU project by HRH the Prince of State of Kuwait and the estimated facilities provided by his government. His Royal Highness expressed his appreciation for all the charitable people who donated for the AOU project. He pointed out that the situation of those leaders and those charitable people and their solidarity with this vital project confirms their deep faith in the mission of AOU and its pioneering role in establishing a bright future for the Arab nation.

Prince Talal: AGFUND Promotes UN Efforts in Building Prince Talal Bin Abdulaziz, President of AGFUND, asserted that the Programme in moving forward in supporting the UN efforts to build the Knowledge Society and use technology for development, poverty combat and empowerment of Arab societies to realize the objectives of the millennium. Prince Talal Bin Abdulaziz, at his office in Riyadh on Sunday June 13, 2010 received Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman of United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force (UN ICT TF) who informed Prince Talal of the significant developments he is recently assigned by UN to accelerate the realization of the international development objectives and to build the Knowledge Society, through the use of information technology and communications and the set up of an electronic gate of the most successful technology applications in the economic, social, health and education aspects. During this meeting, he discussed the points of meeting between the development policies of AGFUND and Abu-Ghazaleh task, blessed by HRH and confirmed his support of each endeavor in that direction, referring to the existing successful partnership between AGFUND and UN since the threshold of the 80s of the twentieth century. Further, Prince Talal asserted the keen of AGFUND to use technology for the sustainable development and attracted the attention of His Royal Highness to the Arab Open University, which applies technology with its latest usages, and exist in 7 Arab states and he expressed the readiness of AGFUND to cooperate to achieve the success of Abu-Ghazaleh task. In extension of the results of meeting with Prince Talal, the Executive Management of AGFUND held a meeting with (Abu-Ghazaleh) on Monday to find out the frameworks of cooperation and informed him of the Programme contributions in supporting development and helping the developing societies to reach the objectives of the millennium which begin with poverty combat and ends with extending the partnership for development. Both sides discussed the projects that AGFUND can participate in its financing to achieve the joint objectives. For his part, the Executive Manager of AGFUND Nasser Qahtani asserted that introducing development applications of technology is a strategic objective of AGFUND, especially in its new phase aiming at the dedication of the Organization, pointing out that the AGFUND international prize this year allocated its subject for rural development through using technology. Further, facilitating the use of modern technology to the poor is liable to limit poverty phenomenon and that AGFUND works for that through its project to establish banks for the poor in the Arab World. Qahtani pointed out that the partnership of AGFUND and Abu-Ghazaleh with UN and its organizations in the field of development and the care of both sides of the technology relation to the sustainable development will keep the cooperation between them forward and serve the Arab development.