Dhamar University Academic Excellence in Service of Society [Archives:1999/22/Reportage]

The University of Dhamar was inaugurated on 17-7-1996 in order to meet the need for manpower development in the governorate of Dhamar and the region. Many countries develop their societies and manpower through establishment of new universities which directly participate in the development process. 
Universities are a beacon of light, as they help build the people who will shoulder responsibilities for the nation in the future. They do that through educational programs and activities and scientific research. Universities are also the source of social progress, cultural achievements, and a more bountiful and meaningful life for society 
Unfortunately, not all universities play this critical role. Some of these educational institutions grow nothing more than big ordinary schools. 
One promising university is Dhamar University. Ismail Al-Ghabiry of Yemen Times talked to Professor Dr. Abdulla M. Al-Mujahid, Rector, about a number of issues. 
Dr. Mujahid received his university degree in agriculture from Baghdad University. He worked at the Agricultural Research Center in Taiz for a while, before going back to get his PhD from Alexandria University in 1982. Then he went to Oklahoma for a short internship before coming back to join Sanaa University’s College of Agriculture. 
Excerpts: 
Q: How many students do you have at Dhamar University? 
A: As you know, our university is a young one. We are just over three years old. 
Yet, we already have more than 12000 students distributed in the various university disciplines. This indicates the level of demand in this region. 
Q: What are the nationalities of your lecturers? 
A: Our lecturers come from different nationalities. The Arab lecturers are mainly from Iraq, Egypt, Syria, and the Sudan. In addition, we have a few Indians. Of course, the majority of our teaching staff are Yemenis. 
Q: Do you have any foreign students? 
A: Yes, we do. We have around 50 students from Arab countries. These are either paying students, or they are recipients of scholarships which come under our cultural exchange program. 
Q: What you have achieved so far is impressive. How can you explain such infrastructural growth? 
A: I think you must have observed that we are in a race against time. A new university which has enormous ambitions is frustrated by shortages of funds. But we have been able to manage well. 
We have a strong community-oriented approach which will make our university involved with society. Thus, we are not limited to instruction only, but to extend our outreach to the community around us. 
Q: How does that translate in curriculum development? 
A: The university has introduced the newest ideas in curriculum development from the start. This has distinguished it from the other universities in the country. 
We emphasize research and the hard sciences. We link up with other organizations in the region and worldwide. 
Q: What extra-curricular activities does the university adopt? 
A: The university promotes a lot of scientific activities and highly personalized research projects. Every two years, we have a university-level exhibition and conference to display and discuss the achievements and results of scientific research. This year, the focal theme was Medicinal plants and herbs. 
I would like to use this opportunity to say that the Yemen Times was the only newspaper in the country that gave our efforts full coverage. It shows this paper has its presence all over the country, and it handles the various important issues facing our nation – not just politics. 
Q: Could you tell us about the university’s future plans? 
A: We have a future plan which calls for the establishment of 20 specialized colleges and scientific institutes. Next year, we will inaugurate the Medical College, which is being implemented in cooperation with the Dutch Government. 
Q: Any last comment? 
A: We are doing a lot of important work to create an atmosphere of scientific and educational excellence. In spite of major difficulties, we believe we have succeeded. 
It is my opinion that our country needs some good news that offer hope. Dhamar University has a good story to tell, and I hope the Yemeni media comes to see what is being done, and then reports it to our people.
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