\General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Defence Minister, will today open the Electronic Total Quality Management (e-TQM) College, the first "virtual" institution in the region.

The college offers education online and admission is open to residents of the UAE as well as students who live abroad.

Major General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Dubai Police Chief and President of e-TQM, said the establishment of the college is consistent with Sheikh Mohammed's concept of the Knowledge Village which he saw as a catalyst for education and development.

"Arab society in general lacks in the science of quality, but Sheikh Mohammed has laid down the foundation for this science, when he launched Dubai Government Excellence Programme," Maj. Gen. Dhahi said.

"Dubai Police took the chance of this quality leap in administrative work and endeavoured to spread the quality culture in society and make it a daily behaviour among members of the public. They published a series of books about quality and established the Quality Department, inspired by Sheikh Mohammed.

"It is natural that Dubai Police proceed with their move in this field, launching this college. This is yet another example that Dubai Police are targeting society and offering better services and that their role is not limited to chasing criminals.

"Dubai Police believe that crime spreads among illiterates and so we strived to disseminate culture and science, making education affordable to everybody. The cost of certain courses in the college is two dollars."

He was addressing the Consultative Board of the college yesterday.

The college has been accepted as a key member of the British Quality Foundation and EFQM, a leading European body for quality management. It will have its own specialised library in both English and Arabic.

Admission will be open for all and will not be restricted to the security forces or the military. The medium of instruction will be Arabic and English. Degrees in total quality accreditation and specialised programmes will be launched for the applicants.

The students enrolled in e-TQM will not be required to obtain a university degree to gain admission to the college.

Dr Mansoor Al Awar, Director, e-TQM College, said two courses will be offered immediately after the opening.

"Our mission is to be the college of choice in the Arab World for Total Quality Management and related knowledge requirements and to enable individual development and growth in a virtual environment." He added that the students will be studying in a virtual knowledge-based environment.

Professor Mohammed Zairi, Sabic Professor for Best Practice Management, said anyone can seek admission and there is no age limit.

"The aim is to provide practising managers in the Arab world with the opportunity to advance their careers and professional development by developing pioneering, up to date and relevant modules," he said.

He said that they will develop the right IT infrastructure that enables wider access with online support. "We will strive to develop the college through mass access providing benefit for all. And by catering to the masses we will compete with value for money," he said.