AUBH Campus Meets HEC Requirements

The American University of Bahrain, (AUBH), the first American-style university in the Kingdom, celebrated a major milestone toward a September opening after it received confirmation that it meets all the requirements set by the Higher Education Council (HEC). The HEC praised the AUBH leadership team for their efforts in delivering a state-of-the-art campus following a visit by His Excellency Dr. Majid bin Ali Al-Nuaimi, Minister of Education and Chairman of the Higher Education Council, and Dr. Muna Mohamed Al Balooshi, HEC Assistant Secretary-General for Evaluation and Accreditation.

The campus’s on-site evaluation, was led by Dr. Al Balooshi and is part of the HEC’s mandate to ensure that the quality of the campus meets the Kingdom’s educational standards. All universities, both private and public, are regulated by the Higher Education Council (HEC), which was established under the Ministry of Education in 2005 to improve the performance and quality of educational programs and their ability to build capacity in response to the demands and challenges of development.

AUBH’s purpose-built campus features innovative facilities to serve the University’s mission to provide a rigorous and engaging student-centric community committed to the ideals of intellectual inquiry, ethical behavior and social and civic responsibility. Built on a 75,000 square meter site in Riffa, the nine buildings that make up its 21,500 square meter campus are 95% complete and final interior furnishings are currently being installed. The University will be ready for handover in early August. Faculty members from the US, the UK, Australia, and other countries have already arrived in Manama and will welcome the inaugural class of students when the University officially opens its doors in September.

Commenting on this achievement, Dr. Susan E. Saxton, Founding President of AUBH stated, “We are extremely proud to have received the blessing from the HEC which marks a significant milestone for AUBH. I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to the MoE and the HEC team for their continuous cooperation and tremendous support to AUBH’s journey, and to each and every person who helped make this possible.”

AUBH’s campus mirrors the qualities and features of the best American universities to support its American-style education. The modern, ergonomically designed campus includes a Welcome Center for Administration and Student Services, and an “Academic Quad” with four dedicated three-level academic buildings, one for each college. The campus also boasts a Sports Center with a full gymnasium and basketball court, an outdoor football field, and a Student Commons where students will enjoy outside-the-classroom educational and social activities that form an integral part of the AUBH educational experience. The academic buildings house fully-equipped interdisciplinary labs and studios, high-tech lecture halls and classrooms, seminar and case study rooms, an extensive and innovative library, and a grand auditorium that seats over 250.

“AUBH was created to support the Kingdom’s efforts in upscaling the country’s academic quality and we aim to provide a holistic American-style educational experience unique to the Arab region. We want students to experience a quality education within a truly American-style setting which combine academic excellence with a multi-cultural, socially-active campus life” further added Dr. Saxton.

Campus buildings are connected with exterior green spaces that feature seating areas and water features, shaded by 400 trees of 12 different species. Over 9,000 square meters of shrubs, groundcover, and grass provide a variety of colors and textures that complement the buildings and spaces. The design, layout, and organization of the buildings as well as the outdoor spaces foster interaction and collaboration between students, faculty, and the community to enhance the overall student experience. The AUBH campus was designed by Ayers Saint Gross (ASG), a renowned US-based architecture and planning firm that is internationally recognized for bringing a student-centered approach to the design of many prominent US university campuses.

For more information on the University, you can visit the website at www.aubh.edu.bh.