1st E-Learning Conference 2020

Speech of His Excellency, the Prime Minister, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Higher Education

Prof. Abdulaziz Saleh Bin Habtoor

The conference is considered one of the exceptional and important scientific conferences, which will provide a scientific model that contributes to solving the problems of distance education and the obstacles that people have faced.

The importance of information technology lies in the fact that it has become an integral part of the life of researchers, students, professors, and the life of the community in general. Those working in higher education and its institutions in partnership with the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology are concerned with overcoming technical complexities and dealing with them as important means that enable students to access modern and old study references.

This conference represents a kind of actual partnership between the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and the public and private universities. It constitutes an interesting experience that encourages joint work in this field.

COVID-19 pandemic has imposed a great challenge on all sectors, including the education sector, which highlights the importance of e-learning as an essential practical way to reduce the impacts of the educational process suspension. Thus, we must shed light on the experiences that a number of Yemeni universities have adopted in the distance education and their importance to the educational process and its requirements during the last period.

I hope the conference will succeed and come out with recommendations that will develop the educational process. Moreover, I would like to thank everyone who worked on organizing this conference and sought the success of its activities.

Conference President, (His Excellency, Minister of Higher Education & Scientific Research)

Mr. Hussein Ali Hazeb

In the name of God who says: “He taught man that which he knew not.” Prayers and peace be upon the Instructor and Guide of mankind, the Prophet, and upon his family and companions.

We are pleased to launch the first conference to be held in Yemen for e-learning in higher education institutions (Reality and Aspirations). It will be organized by the Ministry and the Yemen Center for Information Technology in Higher Education (YCIT-HE) in collaboration with Emirates International University. This conference is one of the most important scientific conferences that we hold with momentum.

The conference was an outcome of several meetings and discussions in the corridors of the Ministry and the Center. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic at the beginning of this year, the educational process and examinations have been suspended in universities for more than four months, bearing in mind what if the pandemic got intensified. The new academic year (2020/2021) has started, while the educational process is still suspended; and this issue may create confusion in the educational process.

The onerous responsibility that we take urges us to carry out our national and moral duty towards our homeland and society to overcome the challenges of this dangerous pandemic. In addition, the difficult conditions that the country is going through as a result of the aggression attract our attention towards students, as we have to think about developing possible solutions and alternatives to preserve their rights to education.

Accordingly, we have sought in the Ministry and Yemen Center for Information Technology in Higher Education (YCIT-HE) to examine the matter in all respects, and coordinate with the Supreme Committee for Combating Epidemics. Thus, we have developed a mechanism to ensure the resumption of study and conducting examinations in universities for the academic year (2019/2020). We introduced the precautionary controls and appropriate measures to be followed for completing study and conducting examinations in public and private higher education institutions. Therefore, arrangement for the academic year (2020/2021) is going on.

We have been able, thanks to God, to sustain the educational process due to the patience of the Yemeni people, the determination of our political leadership, the support of National Salvation Government, the strong and solid will of the Ministry leadership and the Information Technology Center, as well as the leaders and employees of public and private higher education institutions. Moreover, we have been able to establish scientific and research activities and events at the level of the Ministry and universities. This conference is the best evidence of that, which also came to evaluate the existing experience in universities that have followed this system. We are also coming up with e-learning initiatives and adopting them as an absolute Yemeni experience.

I call on all public and private institutions of higher education to adopt the recommendations of the Conference and integrate them as a policy to activate e-learning in their services and programs.

In conclusion, we would like to thank the Executive Director of the Yemen Center for Information Technology in Higher Education (YCIT-HE) and his staff, as well as the Chairman and members of the organizing committees, for their great efforts in preparing and organizing this Conference and those who contributed to the success of its activities. We also extend our thanks and appreciation to Emirates International University for supporting the conference. Our thanks and appreciation must go also to all those who attend and participate in the proceedings of the conference with research papers.

Best Regards!

Vice-President of the Conference (His Excellency Deputy Minister of Higher Education & Scientific Research)

Dr. Ali Yahya Sharaf Addin

In the name of God, and prayers and peace be upon the Noble Messenger of God, his family, his companions, and those who righteously followed them.

We would like to congratulate you on this occasion, in which we hope that God Almighty will lead us to a good reward and a blessed impact in taking care of the younger generation and students of all age groups.

At the outset, we would like to express our thanks and appreciation to all the respondents for their contribution to this event. This conference is being held under the generous sponsorship of the political leadership represented by his excellency, President / Mahdi Al-Mashat, President of the Supreme Political Council.

This distinguished conference is held with effective local and international participation. Through this conference, the Ministry establishes sound rules for decision-making tools, and a real interest in education issues and priorities under various circumstances and challenges. The leadership of the Ministry has sought, with a clear vision and at a steady pace, to provide a reliable model in the field of higher education in Yemen at various levels, foremost of which is scientific research in various fields. The Ministry and its academic institutions have continued with full determination to provide science and knowledge to students. In addition, they have showed high response to the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on all aspects of life in Yemen. The universities have followed e-learning as a successful way to confront it, and they were able to finish the second semester of the last academic year with great success due to the determination of universities, and the wise decisions of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Mr. Hussein Hazeb. Best thanks to him and to the Ministry’s staff in recognition of their efforts.

Despite the multiple difficulties and the unjust aggression and blockade on Yemen, the Yemeni people have set a model for the will for freedom and will to reach goals that must be achieved one day. Through this conference, we send a clear message that the Yemeni, who suffers from a lack of capabilities and weak Internet connection, will not give up and will be capable of making the impossible. Being Yemeni means being firmly rooted in land and history. However, the Yemeni, at the same time, is capable of keeping pace with recent developments of the age and continuing his/her education path that will inevitably lead in the end to achieve his/her goals of victory, freedom and independence.

In light of the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, this conference is being held today to discuss a very important issue centered on looking into the present and future status of e-learning in Yemeni Higher Education Institutions. This comes in line with the Ministry’s vision regarding the importance of scientific research and its attempts to provide creative insights through which our universities will move to new perspectives that will enable them to continue the educational process and to move higher education forward by keeping pace with emerging issues. Moreover, the conference contributes to the development of solutions and proposals and reaching realistic and implementable scientific results and recommendations that can be used in developing the e-learning system in Yemen.

We hope that this conference will make a significant contribution to promoting awareness of the importance and mechanism of technology in the education sector. We also hope it will increase the level of interaction and interest among decision makers in working to meet the requirements necessary to build the appropriate environment and the necessary capabilities.

Finally, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all the researchers who submitted good quality research works covering the themes of the conference, and to the various conference committees, who have insisted that this conference should be produced in such a high and distinctive manner. We also would like to thank all those who contributed to the success of this important event and spared no effort to bring its activities into the light.

We hope that God the Almighty will guide us to what pleases Him, have mercy on our righteous martyrs, heal our wounded, release our prisoners, help us with His victory, and guide us with His light, for He is all-hearing supplications.

Best Regards!

Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Conference

Advisor of the Minister of Higher Education & Scientific Research

Executive Director of Yemen Center for Information Technology in Higher Education (YCIT-HE)

Dr. Fuad Hasan Abdulrazaq

Distinguished Guests of the Conference

Honorable Members of the Supreme Political Council,

His excellency, Prime Minister, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Higher Education,

Honorable Ministers,

His excellency, Minister of Higher Education & Scientific Research, the Conference President,

His excellency, Vice Minister of Higher Education, Vice-President of the Conference,

Respected Rectors of Public & Private Universities,

Academic Colleagues, Researchers & Interested Persons.

Ladies & Gentlemen                             

On my behalf and on behalf of the members of the Conference Organizing Committee, I am pleased to express to you our great pleasure and honor in your presence, interaction and interest, which reflects the oneness of visions, goals and aspirations of decision-makers and members of higher education institutions in our country, including leaderships and teaching staff (academics, researchers, experts and interested persons) to achieve the highest levels of academic performance, and to ensure its continuity and effectiveness under any circumstances or challenges.

This conference is considered as the culmination of a chain of procedures and activities adopted by the Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research and the Yemen Center for Information Technology in Higher Education (YCIT-HE). The most important concerns of this conference is setting controls and conditions for completing the educational process in the 2^nd semester of the last academic year (2019/2020), which was suspended due to COVID-19. This pandemic has almost caused to engender paralysis of the educational process. Besides, the conference intends to make arrangements for the resumption of studies for the academic year (2020/2021). Those regulations approved by our esteemed government at that time constitute a distinct model that was praised by others locally and internationally. Applying such actions has motivated the interested persons, researchers and academics to achieve goals and aspirations that can bridge the gap between traditional education and digital education, which has become an important and major part of teaching and learning strategies at all academic levels. As a result of a responsible national academic movement under the interest and encouragement of the Ministry leadership represented by his excellency the Minister and his excellency the Vice-Minister, we are so eager to evaluate our country’s experience in the field of e-learning during COVID-19 pandemic to benefit from this experience in exploring the prospects for educational technology in our country. Under the positive and commendable initiative of education partners in the private sector, this conference was organized by the Ministry, represented by the Yemen Center for Information Technology in Higher Education (YCIT-HE), in collaboration with Emirates International University in Sana’a. This conference represents a serious start towards implementing the National Vision and ensuring the continuity of the educational process. What is noteworthy is that the conference preparation process was conducted in cooperation with national institutions directly associated with the topic of the conference and the entire educational process. We highly appreciate, in particular, the Ministry of Telecommunications & Information Technology and its Leadership for their interest and interaction since the early stages of preparation. They were keen to lay the correct foundations for the desired outcomes of the conference through their participation with a technical team and experts who worked with the Center’s Team and the Scientific Committee of the Conference.

Dear Guests, Conference Members

 On this remarkable day, you may think of how much the Yemeni person has accomplished under these circumstances of brutal aggression; so how about the Yemenis’ achievements, if things were settled?

As we are on our way this morning to the venue of this event, we look with pride to our sons and daughters as they are heading towards their schools. We feel like the youngest of them is saying:

O glory, wait for me, for I am…

After the guidance of knowledge, I will never be regretful,

And remember a promise in every year;

Eager to learn, with faith I am coming,

Carrying on my shoulders  my homeland’s pride,

Going to all cities and countryside.

You will find me rising towards you, singing:

Carrying the flag as a weapon against the enemy.

In conclusion, many thanks and appreciations must go to all the organizers of this conference and those who participated towards its success.

Thank you all for being there.

Best regards!

Emirates International University Rector – Sana’a

Dr. Najeeb Nasser Al-Kumim

In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful

Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon the most honorable of God’s creations, our master Mohammed, and upon his family and his good and pure companions.

His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Al-Rahwi, Member of the Supreme Political Council

His Excellency Dr. Abdulaziz Bin Habtoor, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Council of Higher Education

His Excellency Mr. Mahmoud Al-Junaid, Deputy Prime Minister for Services Affairs

His Excellency Mr. Hussein Hazeb, Minister of Higher Education & Scientific Research

Honorable Ministers

Dr. Fuad Abdulrazaq, Executive Director of Information Technology Center

Dear Rectors of Universities,

Researchers & Participants,

Ladies and gentlemen, Guests of the Conference

I am pleased to join you on behalf of Emirates International University and all its affiliates, which is the premier center to promote the culture of digital and distance education through the First E-Learning Conference in Higher Education Institutions in Yemen. This conference comes within the framework of the keenness of the political leadership and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to excel and advance the educational process. According to the National Vision of Building the Modern State, one of its notable objectives is “Creating innovative generations that seek knowledge development, produce knowledge and technology, and operate through a modern and integrated system of science, technology and innovation that serves their society, supports the development and growth of the state and enhances its capabilities.” Despite the multiple difficulties represented by the available infrastructure and the unjust aggression on Yemen in all walks of life, in addition to the bans imposed by COVID-19 pandemic, the Yemeni people insist to set a model for the will for freedom and to reach the goals of excellence and innovation each in their respective spheres. We, the Emirates International University in particular and the Yemeni universities in general, are one of the basic components of society. We have committed ourselves to be the back-up, the active assistants and supporters of the State in harnessing the potentials in order to ensure the continuation of education amidst the harsh conditions facing Yemen.

E-learning is a strategic and inevitable choice. The process of forming the individual with knowledge and providing communication and mutual interaction will not be possible without the inclusion of e-learning into Yemen’s teaching methods in order to move from a knowledge transfer model to a guided learning model.

This conference is distinguished due to the wide local and international participation with the aim of benefiting from experiences and expertise in educational technology and techniques in an effort to upgrade the e-learning environment to enable the educational partners to integrate into the digital knowledge era.

I wish for this conference all success and to end with a roadmap that addresses the challenges that educational technology is going through in our country. I hope we come up with a set of recommendations for integrating e-learning in the field of education as a means of teaching in order to promote the development and modernization of education and a culture of teaching and learning in a better way for the sake of the homeland and the students. Moreover, we aspire to build a prosperous future that promotes the status of our great nation and people.

All the best!

About the First Conference

As many countries that faced COVID-19 pandemic by setting the necessary precautionary measures to sustain life in vital domains, foremost of which is the educational process, the Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research in our country has implemented  a plan for  completing the process of  study in universities. In addition to health precautions, the plan includes the controls related to e-learning as one of the most important means used in education today.

Despite the challenges that the country is facing due to the aggression, the economic blockade and people’s suffering, in addition to the challenges imposed by the pandemic, the e-learning process has been implemented in an acceptable manner to represent an experience through which we could identify the strengths and weaknesses of our educational institutions and their affiliates including leaderships, teachers and students. In fact, dealing with e-learning in our country is considered as a necessity and an urgent need during unexpected circumstances resulting from COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, we are late in understanding this kind of teaching method. Many countries have been keen on adopting this method taking into account the special characteristics of modern generations, which differ from their predecessors in the manner of assimilation and understanding of the digital-dominated environment of today. In turn, this has greatly influenced the lives of these generations, their treatment of ideas and the acquisition of knowledge.

According to research and studies that preceded COVID-19 pandemic, e-learning is an essential method in the educational process. Our country’s simple experience has recently opened up new horizons worthy of study, evaluation and development, in such a way that copes with the available capabilities and enhances the culture of managing educational technology among the members of the educational process. This will also help them to catch up with the recent digital knowledge developments and face any emergency without trouble resulting from the lack of the culture of management and application of e-learning.

1st Conference Objectives (First)

1- Discussing the impact of Coronavirus pandemic on the educational process in Yemen.

2- Contributing effectively to the improvement of the E-learning environment to enable the learning process partners to integrate into the age of digital literacy.

3- Anticipating the challenges facing education technology in our country.

4- Encouraging the creation of E-learning environments in light of the available capabilities of the national communication system.

5- Benefiting from experiences and expertise in educational technology and learning techniques.

6- Investigating and studying mechanisms for adopting integrated e-learning as a new teaching method.

7- Promoting the spirit of competition in providing the best innovative national solutions in E-learning

Conference Themes

The First Topic:

Reviewing Regional and International Experiments in the Field of E-Learning

Second Topic:

The National Experience of E-Learning in Higher Education Institutions during Coronavirus Pandemic and Its Assessment

Third Topic:

Communication and Information Technology Systems and How to Make Use of  them in Promoting E-Learning in Educational Institutions

Fourth Topic:

Quality of E-Learning and Applied Virtual Education

Fifth Topic:

Challenges of E-Learning in Yemen and Ways of Addressing them

A List of Research Scholars and Research Papers

 Conference Organizers

Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research, the Yemen Center for Information Technology in Higher Education (YCIT-HE)

Conference venue

Sheba Hotel,Sana’a Yemen