The Knowledge Economic City Al-Madina (KEC) has signed a $2 million agreement with the HELP University College (HUC) of Malaysia for specialized educational programs for Saudi nationals. A memorandum of agreement (MOA) to this effect was signed in Madina on Wednesday during the ongoing Noor Forum, between engineer Tahir Bawazir, CEO of KEC, and professor Zakaria Ahmad, executive director of HELP University College, Malaysia. According to the agreement, HUC will offer two tuition assistance programs (TAPs) worth $1 million each to working professionals from Saudi Arabia. The two programs are the Advanced Management Program (AMP) and HELP Continuing Professional Development program (HCPD). The beneficiaries of the program will be senior executives within the Saudi business community. KEC is working to establish a center of learning in the city of Madina. It endeavors to develop a network of public-private partnerships that integrates private sector interests with public sector operations in the areas of education, biomedicine, ICT/multimedia and hospitality. Bawazir welcomed the agreement as a step in the right direction, saying that “it is important to have qualified knowledge workers for the long-term success of not only the Knowledge Economic City Al-Madina but the country as well. By entering into an agreement with HUC, KEC hopes to contribute towards capacity building of the local talents to meet the growing demand of the economy.” Dr. Zakaria said: “HUC feels honored to be associated with a prestigious Saudi project like KEC. Since the project has the noble objective of restoring Madina as the ‘Beacon of Knowledge,' we want to be a part of this effort by contributing towards the knowledge sponsorship program.” Bawazir added that a joint committee which will be chaired by KEC shall review applications and select recipients for the TAP awards based on the eligibility criteria determined jointly. HELP University is recognized for its high academic standards, visionary leadership, effective management, and strong pastoral care for its students. It is a preferred choice for students for its business, accounting, economics, psychology, IT and multimedia programs. Other popular programs include pharmacy, food science technology and engineering. The HELP Graduate School has an innovative portfolio of graduate courses. HELP's students are headhunted by top MNCs. It has growing influential alumni in Asia. HELP has strong collaborative relationships in research and internships with professional bodies, industries, and many top international universities. Its faculty is heavily involved in consultancy and corporate training. HELP's programs are offered in selected locations in Asia, including China, ASEAN (Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand), and the Middle East. HELP University College, a multi campus city university, is strategically located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. __
