The Arabian Gulf University (AGU) will host the 21st Meeting of Deans of Admission and Registration at Universities and Higher Education Institutions in GCC Countriesnext Thursday. The event will be attended by Dr Mohamed bin Mubarak Juma, Minister of Education and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Higher Education Council. The meeting aims to exchange views on the future of academic cooperation among Gulf universities. It is expected to draw wide participation from deans of admissions and registration and representatives from various Gulf universities.

In preparation for the event, Dr Ghazi Alotaibi, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Scientific Research at AGU, chaired a coordination meeting held in the university. Attendees included Mr Turki bin Sulaiman Alturki, Director of Admissions and Scholarships at the Deanship of Admissions and Registration at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, and Dr Aseel Al Saleh, Dean of Student Affairs at AGU. The gathering focused on finalising arrangements for the upcoming meeting, which will involve 40 deans and representatives from admissions and registration departments across the Gulf.

To be held at the Wyndham Grand Hotel in Manama, the 21st Meeting of Deans of Admission and Registration at Universities and Higher Education Institutions in GCC Countries aims to strengthen cooperation and integration among Gulf higher education institutions, facilitate the exchange of experiences and best practices in admissions and registration, address emerging challenges, besides reviewing successful approaches to developing admissions mechanisms and university programme marketing.  

The event will commence with an opening address from Dr Mohamed bin Mubarak Juma, Minister of Education and Chairman of the Higher Education Council, followed by a speech from Dr Saad bin Saud Al Fuhaid, President of AGU, and a welcoming speech from Dr Aseel Al Saleh, Dean of Student Affairs. The first session will showcase successful experiences and practices in marketing university programmes, with discussions on Gulf strategies for attracting students.

 The second session will focus on evaluation and measurement standards in university admissions, including a joint working paper on developing these standards and a presentation demonstrating AGU’s experience. The third session will review recommendations from previous meetings to formulate new directives. It will also revisit the unified guidelines for promoting Gulf student exchange programmes and enhancing admissions standards to improve international university rankings.