Arab European University Association to meet in Groningen

From 3 to 5 July 2011, the University of Groningen will welcome some 75 Arab and European university presidents who will be attending the President’s Meeting of the Arab European University Association (AEUA).

Other guests will include H.E. Dr Khalid Bin Mohammed Alanqari, the Minister of Higher Education of Saudi Arabia, Dutch Secretary of State for Education, Culture and Science Halbe Zijlstra and the Queen’s Commissioner for the Province of Groningen Max van den Berg. Ambassadors from several Arab countries will attend, as well as representatives from the EU, from Arab and European businesses, and from the University of Groningen’s partner universities abroad.

Promote contacts

The Arab European University Association was founded in 1998 on the initiative of the Lutfia Rabbani Foundation, based in The Hague. The association has grown at a rapid rate and aims to promote contacts between universities in the Arab world and in Europe.

When the Netherlands was set to host the President’s Meeting, the University of Groningen offered to be the venue. The University of Groningen has been working closely with the Arab world in recent years. At the moment, some 120 students are studying medicine and dentistry at the University.

In addition, the University is collaborating with the universities of Leiden, Maastricht, Twente and Wageningen in the Holland Arab Education Consortium (HAEC), which aims to intensify contacts between Dutch and Arab higher education (see www.haec.nl).

President of the Board of the University of Groningen Prof. Sibrand Poppema visited Saudi Arabia earlier this year to strengthen existing bonds with a number of universities. During his stay, Poppema signed contracts with King Faisal University and King Khalid University on collaboration in medical training and computer sciences research.

Themes

At the Presidents’ Meeting the following themes will be addressed:

• Quality Assurance and Accreditation
• Governance
• Internationalization of Higher Education
• Higher Education: Labour Market Driven?
• European Programmes

The Presidents’ Meeting is sponsored by Aramco Overseas Company, Springer Science and Business Media BV, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Lutfia Rabbani Foundation.

Note for the press

For more information:

• Ms Madeleine C. Gardeur Veltman, International Affairs advisor to the Board of the University of Groningen, m.c.gardeur-veltman rug.nl, tel. 050-3635421
• Ms Yonet Schröder, member of the board of the Lutfia Rabbani Foundation, info rabbanifoundation.org, tel. 070-365 8841.