Launch of PhD Program in Special Education at Sana’a University
Sana’a – Monday, October 27, 2025 (Jumada Al-Awwal 5, 1447 Hijri)
The University Service Center for Students with Special Needs (USCSSN) at Sana’a University organized a special workshop today to announce the launch of the PhD Program in Special Education.
The program aims to prepare highly qualified and specialized professionals with advanced academic and practical competencies to meet the needs of the local and regional communities. It also seeks to promote the dissemination of knowledge, practices, and high-quality research based on the latest scientific developments in the field of services for people with disabilities and special needs.
In his remarks, Prof. Zaid Al-Wareeth, the University Rector’s Assistant for Centers’ Affairs, affirmed that the launch of the PhD Program in Special Education comes within the university’s efforts to unify and strengthen work in support of people with special needs and to graduate qualified professionals capable of effectively serving this important segment of society.
He emphasized the university’s commitment to supporting the USCSSN, which strives to provide outstanding scientific, academic, and research services in special education through the preparation of qualified professionals in specialized graduate programs. He added that the center also engages in educational, training, and cultural programs in cooperation with relevant and concerned authorities.
Prof. Al-Wareeth highlighted the importance of enriching the program through the participation of distinguished professors, experts, specialists, researchers, and students in the fields of special education, psychology, and childhood studies from within and outside Sana’a University. He noted that the participants’ comments and suggestions were carefully considered and incorporated into the program’s final document.
Prof. Huda Al-Emad, the Vice-Rector’s Assistant for Graduate Studies and Dean of the Academic Development and Quality Assurance Center, described the launch of the PhD Program in Special Education as a qualitative leap toward achieving the university’s strategic goals and strengthening its role in serving people with special needs locally and regionally.
She stressed the importance of designing the program in alignment with academic accreditation frameworks, ensuring that its objectives and outcomes correspond to the nature of different disabilities and the specialization’s focus areas, to overcome all challenges that may arise in teaching and supporting students with special needs.
Prof. Al-Emad noted that the program seeks to clarify the concepts of special education in light of local, regional, and international educational philosophies, while promoting the use of individualized education plans (IEPs) and assistive technologies.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ali Abbas, Director of USCSSN, emphasized the importance of this program as a pioneering initiative that equips graduate researchers with the academic knowledge, professional competence, and research skills needed to address societal needs in Yemen.
He explained that both the center and the program aim to respond to community needs by supporting the integration of persons with special needs into education, in coordination with relevant institutions. He added that the center has expanded to include new specialized postgraduate programs such as the Diploma for Non-Specialists in Special Education and the Master’s Program in Special Education, from which three batches have already graduated.
The workshop also reviewed the Program Specification Document for the PhD in Special Education, outlining its goals, mission, references, and the intended learning outcomes expected of graduates — including cognitive, practical, professional, and general skills.
