Arab and foreign academics have discussed international standards for the accreditation of pharmacy programs in an effort to transfer standards to pharmacy faculties in Arab universities. This came during a workshop organized by the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Council of the Association of Arab Universities and in cooperation with the Council for the Accreditation of Pharmacy Education in the United States of America (ACPE) today on the international accreditation of pharmacy degree programs and the evaluation of pharmacy education. The workshop was attended by 30 participants from the universities of Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan.
During the two-day workshop, academics presented the methodology and specific criteria needed for ACPE accreditation for universities interested in obtaining international accreditation for pharmacy certificate programs. The Assistant Secretary-General of the Association of Arab Universities, Dr. Abdul Rahim Al-Hunaiti, said that the workshop provided an ideal opportunity to acquaint participants with the experiences of some Arab universities with ACPE accreditation. Dr. Al-Hunaiti added that the application of international standards for the accreditation of the pharmacy program in Arab universities will reflect positively on the pharmacy profession and on the educational outputs of the college for its compatibility with the requirements of the labor market.
He pointed out that the application of international standards will contribute to enhancing opportunities for Arab pharmacy students to compete efficiently for academic seats to complete their higher education in prestigious international universities and enable faculty members to publish scientific research in international journals. Michael Ross, Executive Assistant at the American Accreditation Council for Colleges of Pharmacy, gave a detailed explanation of the American Accreditation Council, explaining that the Council cooperates closely with the countries of the Middle East, India, Indonesia, Northern Cyprus, Pakistan and Namibia, expecting its work to expand in the future to other countries around the world. Ross explained the details of the requirements, standards and benefits related to applying for international accreditation from the American Accreditation Council for Colleges of Pharmacy. During a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Abeer Al-Ghananim of Sullivan University and Advisor at the American Accreditation Council for Colleges of Pharmacy, Academon from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia presented their experiences and discussed the advantages and results of international accreditation.
During the second session of the workshop, Dr. Fadi Al-Khatib, a evaluator at the American Accreditation Council in Colleges of Pharmacy, focused on the important topic of evaluation in pharmacy education, describing assessment tools, direct and indirect evaluations, surveys, results of evaluation activities and data. In the last session, Dr. Iman Bishiti from the Applied Sciences Private University in Jordan, and Dr. Mohammed Rahhal, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Lebanese International University in Lebanon, spoke with the participants about the importance of international accreditation for students, through the experience of their colleges with the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.
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