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A Brief Historical Account of Al-Quds Open University and Its
Branch in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Al-Quds Open University is a non-utilitarian public university. It was founded in 1986, with its main headquarters in the Holy City of Al-Quds (Jerusalem). The university has adopted the system of the open education and distance learning.
The university is a full member in the following educational associations and institutions:
The Palestinian Council for Higher Education,
International Council for Open and Distance Education,
The Islamic World Universities Union,
Asian Association of Open Universities,
International Association of Universities,
Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization,
and Arab Network for Open and Distance Education.
Al-Quds Open University Branch in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was inaugurated in February 2002. It is the first branch of an open university in the Kingdom. The aim behind this step is to help the Palestinians who aspire for higher education to fulfill their wishes. Surely, this branch will develop the Palestinian societies living in Arab countries. The branch in Saudi Arabia helps solve the problems of many Palestinians yearning for university education, but they are deprived from it because of economic, social or political reasons. Joining this branch is confined to Palestinian students, or who are from a Palestinian origin.
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Al-Quds Open University Branch in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia includes two academic centers, Riyadh Educational Center and Jeddah Educational Center opened in 2002 and 2003 respectively. The branch offers B. A. or B. Sc. degree in three academic programs:
- Technology and Applied Sciences which includes one specialization, Computer Information Systems.
- Administrative and Economic Sciences Program with the following specializations:
Business Administration, Economics, Accountancy, Marketing, and Finance.
- Education Program offers the following specializations:
Arabic Language, English Language, Mathematics, and Primary Education.
The educational model that the branch adopts is the same followed by Al-Quds Open University in Palestine, which depends upon the principles of individual and self-directed learning, in addition to meetings with academic supervisors that are arranged in the two centers weekly for females on Saturday, Sunday and Monday and for males on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The open education has been reinforced in the university with the use of a suitable mixture from the multimedia such as the printed items, audio and optic tapes, Cds, computers, local network, and the Internet, in addition to face-to-face meetings between the students and their supervisors. Two computer laboratories in Riyadh Educational Center include 40 computers connected to the local network (the intranet). Another computer lab is in Jeddah Educational Region that includes 25 computers, and a site on the Internet, which offers educational services to students who reside outside Riyadh and Jeddah regions. This center includes a university library that contains scientific and cultural references related with the academic programs that the university teaches, in addition to the opening of an English lab to help students who are specialized in English to improve their verbal and communicative abilities. All these educational media are used to provide students at the two centers with a good and effective education.
The building of Riyadh Educational Center is located in an area called Um Al-Hamam (the mother of pigeons) near the Palestinian Embassy and beside Al-Muather Police Station. There are 800 students receiving instructions, directions, and lessons from 42 academic supervisors, most of them are doctorate holders.
Jeddah Educational Center is located in the sanctuary of the General Consulate of the State of Palestine in an area called Hay Al-Baraka (blessing region), in the Royal Hall Street. There are 111 students receiving instructions, directions, and lessons from 20 academic supervisors.
The University Branch in Saudi Arabia adopts a flexible policy in accepting students that aim to increase the opportunities in front of the Palestinians who would like to join the university, but all the students joining the university must have the General Secondary Certificate or its equivalent, regardless of the year of graduation, age, and rate obtained.
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