Seventy students of IGNOU Saudi Arabia received their medals and certificates at the graduation ceremony held at the Consulate General of India here, Sunday night. Indian Consul General Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, the chief guest, presented gold medals to two of the graduates and diplomas, degrees and certificates to the others, said a press release issued by IGNOU. Among those present was Dr. Adil Bushnak, chairman of the Bushnak Group, who presented mementos to the medal winners. Dr. Sayeed congratulated the new graduates and made a particular reference to IGNOU Saudi Arabia's Director Riaz Mulla for his pioneering role in establishing the presence of India's prestigious distance learning university and making it popular in Saudi Arabia. “It is gratifying to see so many women graduating in this new batch,” the consul general said. This shows that IGNOU provides a ray of light for those who wanted to pursue higher studies but could not do so for various reasons, he added. The consulate is also working to equalize IGNOU degrees and certificates locally. “These degrees are not yet recognized at par with their local counterparts like many countries have done,” the consul general said and hoped that the consulate's efforts would bear fruit soon. Local IGNOU students have proved that there is no age limit for learning, he said. It is gratifying to see a majority of women among the new graduates, he added. Mulla said a batch of 70 students had graduated from IGNOU Saudi Arabia for the third year in succession, including gold medalists Sajida Fakhri for her Masters in English and Alia Hameed Ali for her bachelor's degree. They include 25 others in business management, two in Masters, 21 in Bachelor of Education, nine in Bachelor of Commerce, 10 in Bachelor of Arts, two in Bachelor of Tourism Studies (BTS) and one in diploma in child education. IGNOU Saudi Arabia's earlier gold medalists were Alunchal Chacko for his postgraduate diploma in financial management in 2006 and Sabitha Rahim for her Masters in English in 2007. Sabitha, a teacher at International Indian School, has also been named as the brand ambassador of IGNOU Saudi Arabia. This year, IGNOU, which offers a wide range of degree, diploma and certificate courses, has introduced new short-term certificate and diploma programs in computing, food and nutrition, and business skills. “Now, students can seek admission in year-round academic programs of IGNOU Saudi Arabia offered in January and July cycles,” Mulla said. “Also, the fees have been reduced for B.Com, BA, BTS and bachelor's degree in preparatory programs to create opportunities for pursuing higher education,” he said, adding: “We are the only partner institute who have received three gold medals consecutively for three years, from 2006 to 2008. The consul general congratulated the new graduates and presented medals, degrees, diplomas and certificates to them.
