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Stafford, the pioneer of distance and online learning in the Middle East, is celebrating its 20-year anniversary of operation. The organisation marked the occasion with a gala event at the Address Downtown on January 29, bringing together alumni, VIPs, faculty members, staff and friends to reflect on Stafford's achievements over the last two decades. The company's founders, Philip and Magda Marsh, were guests of honour, and speeches were given by two of Stafford's current co-owners, Philippe Riewer and Refaat Kazoun, as well as alumni Patrick Antaki, and Professor Peter Jackson, Director of Enterprise – College of Social Sciences from the University of Leicester. Launched in Dubai in 1993, Stafford was the very first provider of quality distance education to operate in the region. After humble beginnings in the Victory building in Deira, today the company acts as the Middle East Resource Centre for five of the UK's leading academic institutions, including the University of Leicester, Nottingham Business School (Nottingham Trent University),University of Northampton, University of Nottingham and University of Essex. ‘I like to describe us as “being in the business of fixing the future”,' explains Refaat Kazoun, CEO and co-owner of Stafford. ‘Over the last two decades, Stafford has been through many transformations, and has developed long-lasting relationships with some of the UK's top universities. We are very proud of our associations and achievements over the last 20 years, but our greatest source of pride comes from our students and graduates.' Stafford offers a supportive learning community for distance learners, which is led and managed by experienced academics. As well as MBAs, students can enrol in a wide range of courses and qualifications, including doctorates, bachelor and master's degrees, certificates and diploma-level programmes in business, management and education. The company supports students across all academic levels to help them reach their full potential, whether that is elevating their job prospects through an MBA, embarking on a new career path, or simply learning something new. Today, over 1,100 students across the Middle East are actively enrolled through Stafford's head office in Dubai, branch office in Lebanon and partner agent in Saudi Arabia, and the company has seen 5,000 students graduate over the last two decades. ‘Providing quality education and looking after our students both academically and administratively has been a sure recipe for success, which we do not intend to forsake,' adds Kazoun. ‘We see the future of Stafford being as exciting as the current rapid developments in the world of education. Looking forward, in addition to expanding our portfolio of programmes and our partnerships with excellent universities, our plans in the near future involve an expansion into Eastern Europe and possibly a dedicated blended learning centre for working professionals.' For more information about Stafford and the services that it provides, please contact claire@theprclinic.ae, 050 289 2314.
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