BUILDING CAPACITY
Universities are planning to expand through various strategies, augmenting everything from international partnerships and gender-balanced programs to research and sources of funding.
The university was established by Royal decree in 2014. It consisted of two main branches, the girls' section, which was part of the Dammam University, and the boys' section, which was part of King Fahd University Petroleum and Minerals. There were challenges, one of which was to have a unified set of procedures. We are making a great effort to harmonize the two branches. The courses were gender-segregated; the girls' branch taught Arabic, humanities, and education-related subjects whereas the boys' branch concentrated on engineering and sciences. We are gradually introducing arts programs in the boys' section. On the other hand, we are also introducing technical subjects in the girls' section, for example computer science and administrative sciences.
We have many international partnerships and have made many agreements to enhance the quality of our academic programs. Our College of Medicine has made an agreement with the College of Medicine at Manchester University to adopt its academic program, and our College of Education has made an agreement with George Washington University to present a joint PhD program. Our College of Engineering has an agreement with Pennsylvania State University for a “3+1 program,” whereby our undergraduate students study the first three years in Taibah University and then the final year at Penn State. We are trying to have similar 3+1 programs with other international partners across different academic programs. We have a total of 28 memoranda of understanding and service contracts, such as UTM in Malaysia among others. One of our goals is to expand our pool of international partners. The first step is to achieve the national institutional accreditation from the NCAAA, which will pave the way for our future goals.
Jazan University has only been around 12 years, making it one of the newest universities in Saudi Arabia. Today we are one of the biggest in Saudi Arabia as well, with 63,000 students. But there is a great deal of work to be done with regard to our research capacity. Thus far, our research has not been at the level we want it to be. We have various publications in big medical journals, but there is still a long way to go. We are not in the highest ranks of research but have a plan to get to that level. We have three research centers that we are building up, one for medical research, one for environmental sciences, and a third one that relates to the khat plant and its various medical and other uses. Our budget of SAR10 million (USD2.67 million) is not enough to support our research initiatives, and thus we are trying to expand that budget and find other areas of funding.
We are working on the new programs in partnership with other institutions. We are starting a master's degree program with Berkeley in architecture. We are also starting some specific PhD, master's, and vocational training programs in partnership with Lancaster University. We have another partnership with Babson on entrepreneurship. We keep adding to our range of programs as we move forward because we have to be very flexible under the 2030 Vision. Dar Al Hekma University is mobilizing efforts to pass legislation that would allow us access to Zakat funds, which are charitable donations people make here every year. This would be a big deal, because billions are collected annually. So, if we became a channel for some of those funds, it would make our university more sustainable as a non-profit organization. This legislation would also help other entities that are not publicly funded at the moment.
BUILDING CAPACITY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Column
YB Pehin Dato Lim Jock Seng, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office & Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Brunei
TBY talks to YB Pehin Dato Lim Jock Seng, Minister at the Prime Minister's Office & Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Brunei, on the sector.
read articleReview
A Crude Awakening
The Kingdom has made renewables a critical aspect of its ambitious Vision 2030 effort to diversify its economy and wean itself from a strictly carbon-based diet, not to mention empower local businesses and individuals to take up the mantle and lead the energy sector into the next generation.
read articleInterview
Abdulaziz AbdulKarim, Vice President of Procurement & Supply Chain Management (PSCM) , Saudi Aramco,
TBY talks to Abdulaziz AbdulKarim, Vice President of Procurement & Supply Chain Management (PSCM) at Saudi Aramco, on the IKTVA program, supporting local content, and looking back over a successful year.
read articleInterview
Ayman Abdullah Alfallaj, CEO, Thiqah
TBY talks to Ayman Abdullah Alfallaj, CEO of Thiqah, on how the private sector can keep pace with the speed of public reforms, delivering a strong and lasting value proposition, and integrating the fruits of privatization into the public sector.
read articleFocus: Technology Investments
Investment Calling
A technological revolution is underway in the Kingdom. Already one of the most tech-savvy nations in the Middle East, the Saudi market has long sought a thriving domestic technology and innovation scene. And with Vision 2030, it is on course to deliver just that.
read articleReview
A Hejaz Unhindered
An ambitious series of road and rail projects from the Jordanian border down to the Indian Ocean are slated to open in part before the end of 2017. They bring the Kingdom that much nearer to its goal of greater non-carbon-based economic integration with the world.
read articleInterview
Sulaiman bin Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Former Minister of Transport and Minister, Civil Service
TBY talks to Sulaiman bin Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Former Minister of Transport and current Minister of Civil Service, on an attractive legislative framework for investment, railway linkages, and port developments.
read articleInterview
Rumaih M. Al-Rumaih, President, Public Transport Authority (PTA
TBY talks to Rumaih M. Al-Rumaih, President of Public Transport Authority (PTA) & Acting President of Saudi Railway Organization, on teaming up with commercially committed partners, making sure the Kingdom's land and sea bridges are of the first order, and providing employment for all the Kingdom's inhabitants.
read articleInterview
Nabeel M. Al-Amudi, President, Saudi Ports Authority, and Minister of Transport
TBY talks to Nabeel M. Al-Amudi, Minister of Transport, and President of Saudi Ports Authority, on optimally restricting concession agreements, resolving bottlenecks in the logistics chain, and privatizing as rapidly as possible.
read articleInterview
Khaled Bin Abdullah Al Hogail, CEO & Managing Director , Saudi Public Transport Company (SAPTCO)
TBY talks to Khaled Bin Abdullah Al Hogail, CEO & Managing Director of the Saudi Public Transport Company (SAPTCO), on the importance of strong and rational regulations, knowledge transfers, and unifying public and private transportation networks.
read articleInterview
Imad El-Zein, CEO, Auto World-Sixt Saudi Arabia
TBY talks to Imad El-Zein, CEO of Auto World-Sixt Saudi Arabia, on growing market share in challenging circumstances, partnering with world-class players to boost its local presence, and combining better services with lower costs.
read articleInterview
Saleh H. Al-Ghamdi, Acting CEO, Saudi Air Navigation Services Company (SANS)
TBY talks to Saleh H. Al-Ghamdi, Acting CEO of Saudi Air Navigation Services Company (SANS), on maximizing safe and effective services, effectively increasing the rate of Saudization, and easing the pathway of women into the workforce.
read articleInterview
Khalil Kutubkhanah, CEO, Jeddah Development and Urban Regeneration Company (JDURC)
TBY talks to Ibrahim Khalil Kutubkhanah, CEO of Jeddah Development and Urban Regeneration Company (JDURC), on Jeddah's unplanned settlements, the company's redevelopment projects, and its partnership model with the private sector.
read articleInterview
Dr. Khalid Bin Mohammed Al Shaibani, Deputy Minister, Planning and Health & Director of the Vision Realization Office
TBY talks to Dr. Khalid Bin Mohammed Al Shaibani, Deputy Minister for Planning and Health & Director of the Vision Realization Office, on reforms within the Ministry of Health, the corporatization of healthcare provision, and transformations in care delivery.
read articleInterview
Mohanad A. Dahlan, CEO, University of Business and Technology (UBT) Company
TBY talks to Mohanad A. Dahlan, CEO of University of Business and Technology (UBT) Company, on the evolution of the company, education investments, and upcoming sectors that will need support from the sector.
read articleFocus: Universities
Broad and Deep
As part of the continuing decentralization of higher education in Saudi Arabia, individual universities are pursuing their own paths to grow their faculties, engage with various international stakeholders, and ultimately move toward a more privatized future.
read articleInterview
Rafique Izhiman, Area General Manager KSA Jeddah, Yanbu Hotels
TBY talks to Rafique Izhiman, Area General Manager KSA Jeddah/Yanbu Hotels & General Manager, Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG), Jeddah, on the role the firm plays in the market, expanding its footprint in the country, and expectations for 2017.
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