RIYADH: The International Exhibition and Conference on Higher Education opened in Riyadh, Tuesday under the patronage of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. About 400 national and international educational institutions that include universities, colleges and training centers are participating in the three-day event held at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center. According to an official, 16 experts representing some of the leading institutions from within and outside the Kingdom and educationalists from well-known universities will address the seminars and 34 workshops organized on the sidelines of the exhibition. Some of the prominent experts who will speak at the conference include Jamil Salmi, Education Director at the World Bank; David J. Skorton, President of Cornell University; Philip G. Altbach, Center for International Higher Education, Boston; and Dr. Barbara Brittingham, Chair of the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE) of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, among others. The education specialists in the conference will discuss topics, such as Higher Education in a Knowledge-based Economy, Global Competitiveness in Higher Education, and Structuring Higher Education Institutions. Organized by the Ministry of Higher Education, this year's exhibition has witnessed a 42 percent increase in the number of participants, the official said. The success of the first such event organized last year has motivated the Ministry of Higher Education to hold the exhibition on an annual basis, announced Dr. Ali Attiyah, Deputy Minister of Higher Education. “Thanks to the success of the event in 2010, the ministry has decided to make this an annual affair,” said Dr. Attiyah, adding that some 371 world-class universities – 37 from the US, 55 from the UK, 36 from Canada, 35 from Australia, 17 from Japan, 32 from China, 16 from France, seven from Germany and others from Italy, Finland, New Zealand, Ireland and South Africa are taking part in this year's exhibition. About 250,000 visitors came from all over the Kingdom, neighboring Gulf states and other Arab countries last year. Saudi Arabia will establish six colleges at a total cost of SR817 million in different regions of the country, Dr. Khaled Al-Anqari, said in a news bulletin published to mark the opening of the international event. The minister said his ministry has signed seven contracts for establishing and refurbishing colleges that include one university-level hospital. The six colleges include the College of Education for Girls at Al-Kharj University, the Applied Medical Sciences College in Hail University, the Sciences and Arts College in Shaqra University, a hostel in Tabouk University, the Applied Medical Sciences College in Al-Majmah University, and the second phase of the University Hospital in Jizan. According to sources, the International Exhibition and Conference on Higher Education serves as a platform for the signing of a number of agreements between international and national universities. “Some 40 agreements were signed during last year's exhibition that benefited national universities,” said Othman Al-Thabit, Supervisor-General of the exhibition. The ongoing event will offer opportunities to the Kingdom's universities to gain expertise from the participation of international universities and it will help them establish ties that in turn will assist them in developing regulations and admission processes, he said. A large number of visitors, mostly students, university professors and lecturers, thronged the event on the opening day. The event is open to the public between 10 A.M and 9 P.M.
