The conclusion of a workshop for the preparation of standards for the special accreditation of medical programs in Yemeni universities in partnership with the UAE University

University media

Today, in Sana'a, a workshop for the preparation of standards for accreditation of medical programs in Yemeni universities concluded, which was organized over three days by the Academic Accreditation Council in partnership with the Emirates International University in Sana'a. During the closing work of the workshop, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Ali Sharaf Al-Din, affirmed the ministry’s keenness, in cooperation with the Academic Accreditation Council and the Supreme Medical Council, to develop solutions and a roadmap for medical colleges in Yemeni universities to begin reforming their conditions to enable them to obtain special accreditation in accordance with the standards of the International Federation for Medical Education. . The Deputy Minister of Higher Education said, "If universities cannot improve their administrative and academic level, infrastructure, equipment, laboratories, and staff, and improve the quality of their outputs in accordance with international standards in the next three years, they will be closed and their graduates will not be recognized locally, regionally and internationally." He pointed out the importance of the workshop lies in the fact that it came out with a draft of the standards and guide for special accreditation to keep pace with global developments in the medical field to contribute to improving the performance of medical colleges in Yemen and prepare them to obtain special accreditation in accordance with international standards before 2023. He pointed out that there are initiatives by some private universities to establish private hospitals that follow their medical colleges in an effort to obtain special accreditation, while some universities that received some kind of pressure to continue opening admission to medical colleges in them, and did not improve their infrastructure and meet international standards, will be closed. . Dr. Sharaf El-Din praised the efforts of the Academic Accreditation Council and the international expert, Dr. Abdul Latif Haidar, and the role of the UAE University for its qualitative initiative in supporting and financing the workshop to find standards and evidence for accreditation for medical programs in Yemeni universities. While the President of the UAE University, Dr. Najeeb Al-Kumaim, explained that obtaining local accreditation and seeking private accreditation has become a basic requirement for universities, making Yemeni public and private universities face a difficult test to develop their academic programs and infrastructure in accordance with international standards. For his part, Chairman of the Academic Accreditation Council, Dr. Ali Al Kaf, and Chairman of the Supreme Medical Council, Dr. Mujahid Maasar, pointed out the importance of applying the accreditation guide for Yemeni universities. He said, "The year 2023 is at the gates of universities that have not been able to catch up with global developments and absorb international procedures and standards in their medical faculties." Al-Kaf and Maasar stressed the need to correct the imbalances in medical education to find qualitative outputs that contribute to reducing medical errors in Yemen, especially that in 2023, graduates of medical colleges that did not obtain accreditation from the Academic Accreditation Council in accordance with the requirements and standards of the International Federation of Medical Education will not be recognized. The workshop, which was attended by the Undersecretary for the Educational Institutions Sector, Dr. Ghaleb Al-Qanas, the Vice-President of the Academic Accreditation Council, Dr. Fadl Ba’Alawi, the advisors of the Ministry of Higher Education, a number of heads of public and private universities and the deans of its medical faculties, came out with a preliminary draft of the criteria and guide for accreditation in accordance with international standards. At the end of the workshop, the leaders of the Ministry, the Academic Accreditation Council, the Medical Council, the participants in the workshop, and the UAE University for their support and financing of the workshop were honored with certificates of appreciation and commemorative shields.