The new 117 graduates included 23 students from BA, 15 B.Com, 1 BCA, 15 B.Ed, 7 MA English, 1 M.Com, 5 MBA and 47 from diploma in management programs.
Kidwai, who awarded the degree certificates to the students, said the course material provided for IGNOU’s distance education is something to rave about. “You will also be pleasantly surprised that the course material was referred for my Indian Administrative Services (IAS) exam,” he said.
Riaz Mulla, general manager of Education Consulting & Guidance Services (ECGS), said IGNOU-Saudi Arabia became the official representative of New Delhi-based IGNOU in 2004 with 67 students. “Today, the students exceed the number of 2,500, over 70 percent of them are girls.” Since its inception, more than 600 students have graduated from the center. During its seven-year existence, IGNOU-Saudi Arabia’s students have won nine gold medals, five of which were consecutively gained by MA English students. Other two medals were assigned for a BA and one for a postgraduate diploma in financial management. ECGS was awarded a gold medal for the Best International Partner Institute among other 40 centers worldwide at IGNOU’s 21st convocation in New Delhi last year.
ECGS Director Dr. Shahnaz Patel thanked the guests, IGNOU’s Vice Chancellor Professor Rajashekahran Pillai, the international division of IGNOU-New Delhi, and staff and Counselors of ECGS for their continuous cooperation.