Higher Education Council’s Assistant Secretary General discusses enhancing cooperation with UNESCO

Dr. Farzana Abdullah Al Maraghi, the Assistant Secretary-General of the Higher Education Council, received Dr. Anasse Bouhlal, Higher Education and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Programme Specialist at the UNESCO Regional Office for the Gulf States and Yemen. Dr. Mubarak Abdullah Butti, the Acting Secretary General of the Bahrain National Commission for Education, Science and Culture; and Dr. Zainab Ali Al Tooq, Director of Research and Policy at the General Secretariat of the Higher Education Council, attended the meeting. The meeting discussed enhancing cooperation between the Higher Education Council and UNESCO, including participation in the organisation's regional and international conferences, hosting regional meetings in Bahrain, developing policies related to the higher education and scientific research sector in line with global best practices, leveraging the organisation's expertise in this field, and the role of higher education institutions in achieving sustainable deve lopment goals. Dr. Al Maraghi outlined the strategic plans of the council for the upcoming phase and the most important initiatives that the council is working on implementing in alignment with the government's plan. Additionally, Dr. Al Maraghi briefed Dr. Bouhlal on Bahrain's experience in organising the transition of students from technical and vocational specialties to academic specialties, and the efforts of the Higher Education Council to enhance the available education options for students to serve the needs of the labour market. Dr. Bouhlal commended the Higher Education Council in Bahrain for its efforts in advancing the higher education sector and its continuous cooperation with UNESCO. Source: Bahrain News Agency