The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has launched a new master of Arts programme -- MA Arabic (MAARB) in online distance learning (ODL) mode.The MAARB programme has been launched by IGNOU's School of Foreign Languages in the July 2022 session. In order to be considered eligible for the IGNOU programme, candidates will be required to have an undergraduate degree in Arabic or must have UG in any discipline with an advanced diploma, diploma, or certificate in Arabic.
Dr Ausaf Sayeed, Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs was present during the launch in addition to the Vice-Chancellor Professor Nageshwar Rao in hybrid mode at the IGNOU headquarter and attended by regional centers and other university faculty and officials across the country virtually. The launch was also attended by Pro Vice-Chancellors and the functional heads of the university.
On the occasion, Dr Sayeed complimented IGNOU for launching an MA programme in the language and said that Arabic is widely spoken in West Asia and North African countries and India shares very deep relations with those countries and could offer many employment opportunities including diplomatic positions as interpreters etc., to those pursuing Arabic language programmes.
The Vice-Chancellor in his presidential address appreciated the efforts put in by the faculty of School of Foreign Languages in launching the programme and shared that the MA Programme in Arabic is very popular and has reached over thousand enrolments already, while the online certificate programs in Arabic has 3,000 enrollments. He said that the online mode of the programme will be launched later which would be more popular among the Indian diaspora in these Arabic speaking countries. He also informed that the university has been offering programmes through e-Vidya Bharti initiative of the MEA to African Countries.