KUWAIT CITY, July 20: Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Saud Al-Harbi issued a decision on the accreditation of seven Chinese universities for Kuwaitis who want to pursue undergraduate and doctoral studies in China, reports Al-Qabas daily.

The daily obtained a copy of the ministerial decree issued on July 9. Article One of the decree allows Kuwaitis to enroll in undergraduate and graduate programs offered by the accredited Chinese universities, except those studying medicine.

These universities include Tsinghua University, Beijing University, Zhejiang University, Shanghai University, Jiao Tong University, University of Science and Technology of China, and Nanjing University.

The decision stated that the academic program should be in line with the traditional education system, there should be a regular attendance system during the school week, and the program of study must have passed the specified period for granting the academic degree to the first batch of graduates in the college that offered it, provided they hold bachelors and masters degrees, not PhD or executive programs.

The decision took effect from the date of issuance. It does not apply to Kuwaiti students who received accreditation from the Cultural Office in Australia, which handles the affairs of Kuwaiti students in China, before the issuance of this decision.

The decision is based on the resolution issued by the Board of Directors of the Academic Accreditation and Education Quality Assurance Authority during their meeting in March, as well as the recommendation of the committee tasked to suggest standards and review the list of higher education institutions outside the country.