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Signing of a Cooperative Agreement Effat University College of Business and Georgetown University, McDonough School of
Business
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thDecember, 2013
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In The Name of Allah, Most, Most Merciful and Peace be upon Prophet Muhammad.
Your Royal Highness, Princess Lolowah Al Faisal –
Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees & General Supervisor of Effat University.
Your Royal Highness, Prince Turki Al-Faisal – Member of Effat University Board of Trustees.
Your Royal Highnesses…
Dr. Norean Sharpe, UndergraduateDean and Adjunct Professor of Statistics at George Town University.
Dr. Ricardo Ernst, Professor of
Operations, Co-Director, Global Logistics Research Program at George Town University.
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Honored guests, students ‘parents, faculty and students.
ملاسلا مكيلع
محرو ة
هتاكربو الله
،،،
It is my great pleasure to welcome you today to Effat University to witness a mile-stone event: the signing of a cooperative agreement between our College of Business and Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business.
As you know, Effat is proud of the added-value our network of international partnerships gives to our degree programs, our mission is to actively engage in academic interaction and cooperation with all four corners of the
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globe, in accordance with the hadith of the Prophet, “Seek knowledge even if you need to go to China”. However, the Effat model proves that a world-class education need not entail long and hazardous journeys abroad; with the careful selection of the right global partners who are not only leaders in their fields, but also respectful of our Saudi and Islamic heritage, we are able to offer our students a world-class education right here in Jeddah.
Our partners rank among the best in the world - Carnegie Mellon, Duke, Miami, Syracuse and my own alma mater, the University of Southern California in the United States, Rotterdam in Europe, and Tokai in Japan, to name a few.
They are strung around the globe like jewels on a chain.
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But perhaps you are asking yourselves, why do we have international partners, how do they impact on Effat University, what benefits do they bring our students? Let me answer first by reminding you of our mission, which is to qualify tomorrow’s competitive leaders with a world- class education. We are confident that the education we provide is, in fact world-class, because we work closely with acknowledged world-class universities. We work together to plan and develop our curricula, and in the implementation phase they monitor the teaching and learning and offer on-going support. This international interaction gives Effat University its competitive edge, and our students, (and their parents and guardians) can be
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assured that they are equipped with the knowledge and skills equal (if not better than) their contemporaries around the world, and the education they receive here is truly world-class.
So why did we chose Georgetown as our partner for the College of Business?
Like Effat, Georgetown hopes that its graduates will go on to have an impact on the world. The names of many of its alumni will be familiar to you: not least Prince Turki al Faisal, who we are proud to have on our Board of Trustees, former US President Bill Clinton, Saad Hariri, former leader of Lebanon,
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Crown Prince Felip of Spain, King Abdullah II of Jordan, to name but a few.
Like Effat, Georgetown is a relatively small private non-profit university whose founding principles complement those of Effat, the diversity of its students, faculty, and staff, its commitment to justice and the common good, its intellectual openness, and its international character.
These characteristics and principles make it an ideal partner for the College of Business, which not only encompasses the departments of Finance, Human
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Resources, Operations Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship, but also the core values of Effat University as manifested in the acronym IQRA :
Ibhath, Qiam, Riyadah and At-Tawasul. Not only that but
the development journey of Effat students holds eight Pillars of Methaq Effat Altawbawi, or TARBAWYAT EFFAT or what everybody calls “Effat Code of Ethical Conduct”. They are (Taqwa) piety, (Adab) Respect, (Riaya) Upbringing, (Bonyan Marsoos) Strong cooperation& Synergy, (Wasatia) Advocating moderation, (Akhlaaq& Amana) Manners & Integrity, (Yusr) Ease and Simplicity, and (Tawjeeh) Guidance.
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Today we are celebrating the signing of the renewal of the Agreement between our College of Business, and the McDonough School of Business.
Dr. Mervat Chuman will now explain a little of our history together. Please welcome Dr Mervat.
Thank you…
