Page 11 - HBMSU PR REPORT - DECEMBER 2023

Press release

bar for online education worldwide. This common outlook and dedication have greatly contributed

to the success of the Consortium for the Benchmarking Framework since its inception nearly five
years ago. The year 2023, marked by its noteworthy accomplishments and innovations, therefore

serves as a testament to our combined efforts in the field of online, open, smart, and technology-

enhanced higher education.”

His Excellency added, “A major contributor to the Consortium's success has been the continued

assistance we have received from member universities and partners. We firmly believe that this

meeting, providing ample opportunities for all members to leverage their participation in our
digital transformation endeavor, is essential to the Consortium's continued growth and

development.”

H.E. Dr. Mansoor Al Awar made the opening remarks at the meeting, which was followed by
remarks from H.E. Dr. Amr Ezzat Salama, Secretary General, Association of Arab Universities

(AARU), who expressed his gratitude to HBMSU for initiating the Consortium and bringing
together all its members. He emphasised the crucial goal of the Consortium — to establish a

collective understanding of quality in online higher education in the rapidly changing world and
to ensure that students receive the highest levels of educational excellence.

Ms. Torunn Gjelsvik, Secretary General of the International Council for Open and Distance

Education (ICDE), reaffirmed ICDE's steadfast support to the Consortium as a strategic partner,
expressing, “I must commend HBMSU, led by Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, for the notable achievements

in 2023. The creation of a highly valuable toolkit is particularly noteworthy.”

Prof. Moustafa Hassan, Vice Chancellor for International Cooperation in HBMSU, presented the

benchmarking implementation cycle report for 2023, while also making a presentation on the
benchmarking framework toolkit. Several other discussions on key topics that would impact the

future of online higher education were also held, making the Annual Meeting for Online Higher
Education Consortium a remarkable success.

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