HBMSU and Arab Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ANQAHE) host a webinar to assess the benefits and challenges of a benchmarking framework

Dubai, June 25, 2023

Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU), in collaboration with the Arab Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ANQAHE), held a webinar on ‘The Benchmarking Framework for Online, Open, Smart, and Technology-enhanced Higher Education.’ The webinar aimed to present the benchmarking framework and its results on a global level to the participants and representatives of Arab universities’ quality departments, as well as provide participants with the necessary insights into the model.

The webinar offered an opportunity for participants to learn how higher education institutions can benefit from internationally developed benchmarking framework to improve the quality of technology-enhanced education. Through its participation, HBMSU strengthened its position at the forefront of universities that work to transform the future of learning and support digital transformation of higher education institutions across the UAE and the Arab world.

H.E. Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of HBMSU, delivered the welcome address at the joint webinar, which also saw the participation of Prof. Nadia Al Badrawi, President of ANQAHE, Prof. Moustafa Hassan, Vice-Chancellor of International Cooperation at HBMSU, and Dr. Tariq Al Sindi, Secretary General, ANQAHE.

H.E. Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of HBMSU stated: “We express our gratitude to Prof. Nadia Badrawi, President of the Arab Network for Quality Assurance and Accreditation (ANQAHE), the Consortium for Benchmarking Framework members and all strategic partners for their unwavering support in the establishment and growth of the Consortium. In order to create a prosperous and sustainable community, we believe that it is imperative to improve our learners’ educational journey. As part of the latest webinar, HBMSU effectively reiterated the strategic importance of the ‘Benchmarking Framework for Online, Open, Smart, and Technology-enhanced Higher Education’ in strengthening the prospects for inter-institutional cooperation and maintaining the highest standards in online higher education.”

Prof. Moustafa Hassan, Vice Chancellor of International Cooperation at HBMSU, said: “The global implementation of the Benchmarking Framework offers new methods for evaluating and ensuring the quality of online, open and smart higher education. This simplifies the application of quality standards for online, open, smart, and technology-enhanced education, further making it easier to comprehend its advantages and scope. We believe the webinar provided an excellent opportunity for institutions and stakeholders to evaluate the benchmarking framework and develop strategies for further enhancing the model in the future.”

HBMSU consistently engages in dialogue on how to transform learning systems to equip learners with the tools for the future. This vision was furthered through the webinar, which gave HBMSU, ANQAHE and all attendees an overview of the advantages, challenges and scope of an internationally developed benchmarking framework in raising the standards of technology-enhanced higher education.