Al-Fanar Media Updates The Arab World’s First Database of Internationally Accredited Universities

To help Arab students make better, more informed decisions when it comes to choosing a university or academic program, Al-Fanar Media has updated and relaunched its “Internationally Accredited Universities and Programs” resource: The first searchable database of all the Arab university programs and higher education institutions that are accredited by independent, international accreditation agencies.

“Accreditation is a voluntary process. Still, it is very important as it assures students, as well as parents and employers, that a college or university provides a quality educational experience,” Rasha Faek, editor of Al-Fanar Media, said.

Choosing an academic program or university is one of the most crucial choices students have to make, as it will immensely impact their future, employability, post-graduate admissibility, career, and life. Students take into consideration many factors before making such a decision, like cost, location, and rankings, for example, to which they can find extensive information online.

On the other hand, many students are still unaware of the importance of international accreditation, and information about this topic online is scarce, especially in the Arab region.

Al-Fanar Media is working to fill this gap and provide Arab students with one more important factor to assess when choosing a higher-education path.

“It may seem like accreditation has no importance to many Arab students, but this is not the truth because if a student’s degree is from an institution that has questionable accreditation, employers will question the validity of the degree and the student’s potential as a good job candidate,” Faek said. “Accreditation helps also in any plans to transfer to another institution at any time during the academic career, and boosts students’ opportunities to continue their studies abroad,” she added.

Al-Fanar Media has compiled a searchable database that lists more than 700 higher-learning institutions and academic programs across the Arab region that are accredited by recognized, independent agencies outside their home countries. The search tool is updated regularly and is available online to anyone who wishes to use it.

Why International Accreditation?

Accreditation, simply put, is an affirmation of quality. International accreditation means that a university or program has undergone careful inspection by a legitimate international education authority to ensure that it meets high standards to teach a certain program, and has received the affirmation to show for it. It’s how top educational institutions, companies, and other organizations can know that a student has had a good quality education. Students who graduate from internationally accredited universities should be able to move more easily between universities, and increase their chances of being hired eventually.

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Al-Fanar Media hopes its updated “Internationally Accredited Universities and Programs” database will help users determine which programs and institutions in the 22 countries of the Arab world have international accreditation, and distinguish between legitimate quality-control agencies and those that are not.

The accreditation database is one of many resources Al-Fanar Media offers to Arab students. Others include “Scholarships for Arab Students,” a frequently updated list that helps students find scholarships and grants to study at institutions across the globe.

On top of that, our website offers daily news and more than 1,000 past articles about students, universities and higher-education issues in the Arab world.