Launch of Master’s Programs in Financial Technology & Forensic Accounting
Ahlia University: Education_bh Innovation and Excellence
Celebrating educational innovation and excellence across institutions in Bahrain. Read all about the incredible innovations enacted by them only on Gulf Insider’s platform – Education_bh.
Please share a brief background of your innovation
Ahlia University was the first private university to be licensed in the Kingdom of Bahrain, in 2001. As a leading university in Bahrain and the region, Ahlia’s name has become synonymous with innovation and excellence. The university’s latest innovation comprises the development and launch of two cutting-edge and highly innovative postgraduate programs: The Master of Science in Financial Technology (FinTech) and the Master of Science in Forensic Accounting.
How was it planned?
Ahlia University’s strategic plan 2016-2020 articulated an objective that is specifically concerned with the development of cutting-edge programs, in line with the institution’s vision to be an outstanding regional and international university. As such, the planning goes back to 2016, with the proposal and plan for the two programs being developed in 2017-2018 through a careful process that involves a detailed and comprehensive market needs analysis to ensure the graduates of such a program are equipped with the necessary advanced skills and competencies to be among the most employable graduates in the Kingdom of Bahrain. A process of benchmarking with the top universities in the world ensued, which ensures the programs’ syllabi, content, and structure emulate the best of the best, while simultaneously allowing for a degree of contextualization according to Ahlia University’s own mission, strengths, and the local/regional markets.
Did you face any challenges in implementation?
Success isa moving target. This proverb, which has come to be repeated by our founders over the years, has developed into the doctrine at Ahlia University. To stay in the lead means to constantly challenge the status quo and never stop innovating. Some of the efforts and innovations, no matter how carefully planned, may not pay off, whereas others will invariably bear fruit. The same applies to our context here, where the University aimed to be the first in introducing such programs, not just locally, but regionally. In the case of the MSc FinTech, the university was the first private university in Bahrain to successfully roll-out such a program, whereas in the case of the Master in Forensic Accounting, the university –as planned –was the first to introduce this program in the entire GCC.
A brief assessment of your results
As a locally and internationally accredited institution, a number of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are set at the get-go to gauge the success of any new initiative. Moreover, given the significant amount of research, benchmarking, and market-related studies conducted before the introduction of a new program, a high level of certainty will naturally exist in terms of its success upon its launch. To that effect, the university has witnessed avery high level of demand for the new programs, surpassing expectations and estimates for enrollment that normally occurs in the first year of the introduction of a new program.
