According to the Higher Education Council’s law, a professorship is an academic degree and requires accreditation by the Council, in order to be granted.

Institutes of higher education are not certified to grant professorships independently, but are subject to the approval of one of the five higher committees of the Higher Education Council for appointing professorships (excluding some institutions that have been certified to grant a professor’s degree independently, in specific areas).

Institutions in this category, who seek to grant professorships to senior staff, are required to submit a request for their candidates, to the higher committees for the nomination of professorships, in accordance with the directives stipulated by the Higher Education Council.

In addition, the Council has established a forum of chairmen of the higher committees for the nomination of professorships, headed by a member of the Higher Education Council, which periodically assembles to discuss issues such as:

• Issues arising in the committees for the appointing of professorships.
• Examining the reports of certified institutions authorized to grant associate professorships independently and checking new requests on the subject.
• Examining requested changes in the directive for the appointing of professorships.
• Updating the formation of the higher committees for the nomination of professors.

The Forum’s recommendations are presented for discussion to the subcommittee for Development and Academic Policy, after which a decision is received in the Higher Education Council.

For more information on certification to grant a professor’s degree.