The UK Trade & Investment along with the British Embassy in Bahrain and British Council hosted the Best of British Week, which commenced on 15 of January with a Knowledge Event that was opened by HRH The Duke of York.
During his keynote address, HRH talked about the longstanding relationship Britain has with the Kingdom of Bahrain and how education is a major enabler for change. Professor Zahir Irani, Head of the Brunel Business School took a leading role in organising the Knowledge Event and worked closely with the UKTI and the Embassy to showcase the Best of British education.
Brunel Business School works very closely with its strategic partner, Ahlia University where they jointly deliver a PhD without Residence programme, where students from across the region register for a Brunel PhD. Heather Hopper (UKTI) said that “Brunel played a leading role in making the Best of British Knowledge Event a success … where their PhD students showcased their research”.
Examples of research presented in a poster session included:
Russ Dixon (Deputy Ambassador) congratulated Brunel and Ahlia on their collaboration and said that: “The research done by Brunel University is relevant and making a real and positive difference in the region”.
The programme currently has approaching 40 registered students with an almost 50:50 gender split, and has already successfully graduated over a dozen students who defend their work back in the UK, on campus at Brunel University.
Professor Irani explains “When I developed this innovative programme, I wanted to open access to Higher Education to women in the region, who might not normally be able to travel overseas …. I also wanted to ensure that the research undertaken was relevant and would help to build a regional knowledge economy.”
The collaboration continues to grow in strength, with a two-way exchange programme being launched, allowing undergraduates from both institutions to undertake a term of study at each other’s campuses and then to obtain credit towards their respective degree programmes. Future plans also include expanding the PhD programme to include more specialised areas that support the regional economy. Currently both universities are studying proposals for postgraduate studies aimed at meeting future demands on healthcare and energy.
The collaboration continues to grow in strength, with a two-way exchange programme being launched, allowing undergraduates from both institutions to undertake a term of study at each other’s campuses and then to obtain credit towards their respective degree programmes. Future plans also include expanding the PhD programme to include more specialised areas that support the regional economy. Currently both universities are studying proposals for postgraduate studies aimed at meeting future demands on healthcare and energy. Read more about the programme here.
The event was also attended by Professor Amir Sharif (Assistant Head of School) and Dr Tillal Eldabi (Director, PhD Without Residence), below:
