SunGard Higher Education Middle East User Group Conference recognizes regional initiatives in higher education

Leaders from over 31 universities and colleges, Government, Ministry representatives, SunGard Higher Education executives and partners from across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the United States will convene this week at the 6th annual SunGard Higher Education Middle East User Group (SMEUG) Conference.

The conference, themed "Change is Achievable", provides more than 300 participants with a unique opportunity to interact with colleagues, share experiences and gain valuable insight into SunGard Higher Education technology solutions as well as Higher Education specific partner solutions.

The SMEUG event is hosted by SunGard Higher Education (www.sungardhe.com) with sponsorship from Scientia Ltd., International Turnkey Systems, TouchNet Information Systems, Knowledge Village, Perceptive Software, Nuventive, UC4 and Residential Management Systems.

SMEUG 2007 keynote speaker, Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) comments: "Today, Education and IT are inseparable, both institutions and students are experiencing major benefits from the IT investments currently being made in the industry. With learning and the Education sector surging ahead and Dubai promising to become a regional hub for higher education - IT solution providers like SunGard Higher Education are playing a significant role to help these institutions achieve their goals."

'Change is Achievable' recognizes the enormous regional progress in education and skills as well as new initiatives, such as the recent formation of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) under the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE, Ruler of Dubai. KHDA was established to develop the education and human resource sectors and bring them on par with international standards and prevalent best practices, while keeping in mind the requirements of the job market.

"There is an emphasis on improving the quality of education available in the region, a focus on the importance of developing local accreditation and orientating institutions around the needs of students and the workplace. During the SMEUG conference we will specifically address how SunGard Higher Education is helping institutions to respond to the pressure to perform, our Business Intelligence solutions are specifically modeled around Higher Education specific metrics and performance measures," said Mathew Boice, General Manager, EMEA, SunGard Higher Education.

"This year we already launched a full suite of modules in Arabic and we are pleased to launch the very latest Luminis IV Portal, Community and Collaboration solution in Arabic at this year's conference. Clients in the region require support for Arabic, English and some require dual language capabilities. SunGard Higher Education is unique in the ability to serve these needs for universities and colleges," added Mr. Boice.