Prince Sultan University partners with Coursera to deliver job-relevant, in-demand skills on campus
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 15 February 2023: Prince Sultan University (PSU), the first non-profit private university in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has today announced its partnership with Coursera, a global online learning platform, to provide students across its six colleges with new pathways to job-relevant, multi-disciplinary learning, and unlimited access to high-quality content.
By fully integrating Coursera for Campus into its curriculum, PSU students will have access to a wide range of online courses from across the Coursera catalogue, equipping them with the necessary skills for the digital economy and creating opportunities for career paths in the high-demand entrepreneurial and technology sectors.
Furthermore, students will benefit from a world-class online, mobile, and hands-on learning experience while earning job-relevant credentials for courses they complete. The Coursera catalogue currently includes 5,400+ courses, 3,400+ Guided Projects, 675+ Specializations, and 125+ Certificates, taught by over 275 leading university and industry partners.
This partnership between Coursera and PSU supports Saudi Arabia’s ambitious long-term Vision 2030 and the Human Capability Development Program, which aims to increase equal access to education, build a lifelong learning journey, and align educational outputs with labour market needs to boost the Kingdom’s competitiveness globally.
Dr. Ahmed S. Yamani, President of PSU, said: “At Prince Sultan University, we are developing new ways to support digital transformation in the Kingdom by increasing learning resources for students, staff, and our broader community to become digital citizens. We believe this partnership with Coursera will be a unique opportunity that affords curriculum integration, course authorship, and professional development resources to our faculty, staff, and students, in addition to strengthening our students’ digital literacy skills. Our partnership with Coursera also aids in PSU’s pursuit to achieve the digital transformation goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.”
Kais Zribi, Coursera’s General Manager for the Middle East and Africa, said: “With Coursera for Campus, we are bridging the gap between education and employment. Our courses seamlessly integrate into the existing academic curricula and equip students with in-demand skills required for the modern workforce, while also allowing academic institutions to keep pace with the ever-changing job market. Our partnership with Prince Sultan University is aimed at narrowing skill gaps and developing a competitive talent pool to enhance student employability and position them for success in Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing and rapidly transforming economy.”
In Saudi Arabia’s digital economy, specialised skills are becoming essential for supporting the country’s long-term economic expansion and diversification plans. As a result, both businesses and universities are rethinking their talent strategies, while learners are seeking new educational pathways to develop the skills of the future.
Data from Coursera’s recent Advancing Higher Education with Industry Micro-Credential Survey Report has affirmed the growing appeal for industry micro-credentials in the Kingdom, with nearly 97% of students agreeing that earning a Professional Certificate from companies like Google and Meta would help them stand out to employers and get a job when graduating. The survey also revealed 80% of employers agree that a Professional Certificate strengthens a candidate’s job application.
The partnership with PSU marks a significant step forward in Coursera’s ambition to support the talent transformation aspirations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Coursera currently supports the skills development of more than 795K learners in the Kingdom, and more than 6.7 million learners across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
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