British University of Bahrain opens its doors

A PARTNERSHIP between the University of Salford and the British University of Bahrain will see a new university open its doors in the gulf state later this year.

British University Bahrain (BUB) will deliver a range of undergraduate degree programmes on a brand new campus, offering courses in Engineering, the Built Environment, Computer Science and Business. Government and employers have identified skill shortages in the country and region and the courses have been designed to fill those gaps and are aimed at contributing to growth in the national and regional economy.

A key part of the partnership will be the creation of an environment that enables businesses to engage with faculty staff and students on live projects, providing value both to industry and to students. Space will be provided to support start-up businesses and social enterprises.

The first cohort of students will arrive on the campus in September 2018. It is part of the University of Salford’s aim to grow its international reach, enabling it to meet the needs of an ever changing higher education landscape both at home and abroad. This new partnership solidifies Salford’s position as a truly international university which aims to closely serve the needs of industry and drive the development of best practice in learning.

Professor Helen Marshall, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Salford, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to give young people in Bahrain and the Middle East the benefit of a world-class education and knowledge that The University of Salford can provide. 

“The British University Bahrain is opening at a very exciting time for the University of Salford. We are receiving increasing recognition and accolades nationally and internationally; we climbed ten places in the prestigious Sunday Times University rankings in 2017 and were acknowledged as one of the best in the world for two of our subject areas with Architecture and the Built Environment ranked in 36th place and Civil and Structural Engineering also in the top 200 of the QS rankings. 

“We are at the start of what I anticipate will be a long and fruitful relationship with Bahrain as we open the doors of BUB and I’m looking forward to welcoming the first students, and then celebrating with those students at their graduation ceremony. There are exciting times ahead and we can’t wait for this journey to begin.”

Professor Keith Sharp, Vice President of the British University Bahrain, said: “I can’t wait to welcome our first students onto the new state-of-the art campus. We will offer exactly the same quality of teaching and support as Salford students in the UK enjoy. Graduates from BUB will be fully trained with the most current skills that industry demands and will be in a great position to help develop the economy of Bahrain and the wider region.”