The President of Hadhramout University, Prof. Mohamed Saeed Khanbash, and his accompanying delegation visited Brunei, located in Southeast Asia, which has an excellent education system. It includes a group of universities that offer high-quality higher education in various academic disciplines. Hadhramout University is one of the first Yemeni universities to open the door to cooperation with universities in Brunei, with the aim of strengthening this cooperation in the future to include more academic programs and research projects, thus contributing to improving the quality of education in both countries and enhancing the reputation of universities regionally and internationally.
It all started with Brunei University. HU President and his companions arrived at the university presidency building on Saturday, October 26, 2024. They were received by Prof. Dayang Hajjah Zahra Binte Haji Sulaiman, President of the University, her deputies, a number of officials, and university professors. A meeting was held during which the President of Brunei University thanked Hadhramout University and its leadership for accepting the invitation and working together for the betterment of both universities, pointing to the capabilities available at Brunei University, especially in engineering aspects and accompanying laboratories, hoping that the working team would succeed in achieving and activating any agreement between the two parties. From his part, the President of Hadhramout University expressed his gratitude to Brunei University for the warm welcome, looking forward to joint work in all available academic, research, and student fields, with the specialized committees raising the long-term vision of their work mechanism in the near future, extending an invitation to Brunei University to participate in organizing the International Renewable Energy Symposium, which Hadhramout University will organize in cooperation with Malaysian and Indonesian universities next year, 2025. The meeting culminated in the signing of a joint cooperation agreement between the two universities, which included a number of opportunities, including joint scientific research, joint organization of a number of events, as well as joint supervision of scientific theses, exchange of professors and students, and training and qualification. It is worth noting that Brunei University ranks 562 among the world’s universities according to the QS ranking.
Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic University was the second destination for the visit of HU President. The delegation went to the university building on Monday, October 28, 2024, upon an official invitation from its president. They were received by Dato Seri Dr. Haji Noor Arfan, President of the University, the university’s administrative staff, and a number of professors. This was followed by a meeting that aimed to establish a partnership between the two universities. Dato Noor Arfan welcomed his counterpart, the President of Hadhramout University, expressing the historical relations that have brought the two Islamic countries together since ancient times, pointing out that the university includes eight colleges, which varied to include colleges such as the origins of religion, Islamic law, and Islamic economics, among other colleges, and it still seeks further achievements at the local and international levels. From his part, Prof. Mohamed Saeed Khanbash, President of Hadhramout University, expressed his gratitude to the leadership of Sharif Ali University and all its affiliates for the warm welcome, pointing out that the visit is a historical extension of the relationship between Hadhramout’s science and knowledge and Brunei, calling for working to establish joint qualitative programs that benefit both universities and their affiliates, through activating joint mechanisms of work between the two parties, in addition to organized planning to carry out joint activities in which staff members and students from both universities participate, whether through the portal of scientific research and publication or joint international conferences, among other things, which will have a positive impact on the level of ranking of both universities. A memorandum of understanding and partnership was signed between the two universities in the presence of the vice presidents of the universities. It is worth noting that Sultan Sharif Ali University ranks 481 according to the QS ranking in Asia.
At the end of his visit to Brunei, HU President and his companions were scheduled to visit the University of Seri Begawan College on Wednesday, October 30, 2024. They were received by Dr. Abdul Nasser bin Haji Abdul Rani, President of the University, and his deputies. There, the delegation was warmly welcomed by the leadership of the University of Seri Begawan College, as Dr. Abdul Nasser expressed in his opening speech a welcome to the guests of the university as the first Yemeni university seeking to create a partnership with the University of Seri Begawan, explaining the university’s interest in opening horizons for fruitful cooperation between the two parties, which would benefit both universities and their affiliates. From his part, Prof. Mohamed Khanbash said that Hadhramout University, its leadership, and affiliates welcome this partnership and will strive to implement it. A cooperation and partnership agreement was signed between the two universities, followed by a discussion on the proposals and mechanisms that can be implemented in the short and medium term. The agreement between the two parties also included a number of academic, student, and research topics, including the exchange of expertise, joint supervision of graduate students, and the preparation and organization of an international conference on the Arabic language, in addition to a number of related topics.
The President of the University was accompanied by Prof. Abdullah Saleh Babair; Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Samir Salem Al-Bouri; University Representative and Member of the International Cooperation Committee, Mr. Hussein Baslaib; General Director of the President’s Office, in addition to a delegation from the Nahd Development Foundation, including Mr. Adel bin Mahna; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation and Eng. Mohammed bin Thabit; Director of Partnerships and Financial Development Resources