Ali Aljumhour AlShammary

The Open University degree is equal in academic standard to a degree from any other British university. The University is subject to the same quality assurance procedures as all other British universities, and uses external assessors and examiners to ensure quality standards. In the UK Research Excellence Framework 2014, nearly three-quarters (72%) of Open University research was assessed as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent. A recent survey (published in November 2015) shows that UK employers rate The Open University highly. The survey, published in the Times Higher Educational Supplement, ranks the best UK universities as chosen by major UK employers. The Open University ranks in 13th place, with the universities of Oxford and Cambridge taking first and second place respectively. The idea of establishing a non-profit Open University in the Arab world was initiated by HRH Prince Talal Bin Abdulaziz, President of the Arab Gulf Development Programe (AGFUND). In 1996 HRH Prince Talal officially announced the concept of establishing the Arab Open University as a non-conventional academic institution and as a foundation which contributes to steering development in scientific, social and cultural spheres. This initiative developed to a full pledged Arab Open University in 2002 in a strategic partnership with the Open University in the United Kingdom. Learned Topics covered but not limited to : Knowledge and understanding Cognitive skills Practical and professional skills Key skills Management and marketing Business and finance fundamentals in practice Communication skills for business and management Discovering mathematics Fundamentals of accounting Introducing statistics Management practice Communication skills for business and management Human Resources Management