20 March 2007

Links forged with Yemeni Institutions

The University of Dundee has forged new links with the emergent education sector in the Yemen after a visit to the city by high-ranking officials from the Arab state this week.

Professor Ahmed Omar Bamashmoos, Rector of Hadramaut University, and Dr Hussein Al-Gunied, Yemeni Deputy Minister of Environment and an alumnus of Dundee University, were in Dundee on Monday (March 19th) on a visit organised by the British Council.

Professor Bamashmoos and Dr Al-Gunied met with University Vice-Principal Professor James Calderhead and senior staff in engineering, medicine, environmental science and at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum & Mineral Law and Policy.

Dr Al-Gunied, who graduated from Dundee University with an MSc in Environmental Health Sciences in 1988, said he had been extremely impressed on his return to the city.

"Dundee was first in my thoughts when we started to look at forming new links with the UK and I have been extremely impressed with the quality of education here in areas such as science and engineering," said Dr Al-Gunied.

"We are working hard to develop our own university in Yemen and we are really happy to build links with Dundee and the UK."

A general Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Universities of Dundee and Hadramaut at the end of the visit, with the two institutions set to continue discussions on building closer links.

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