UNIVERSITIES
Often seen as the suppliers of the labor market, Saudi universities play a much larger role in the economy and broader society.
In TU, we used to have different colleges and four polytechnic colleges around Taif. People wanted only to go to the university but not the polytechnics. Only the people who could not get into the university went to the polytechnics. We now have formed a joint strategy and program to make sure that the 20,000 or so graduates all have the best option to pursue an education, because not all of those students need to go to university, many could go to the polytechnic for their interests and needs. Hence, we filter students according to their capabilities and the needs of the region and the country in accordance with Vision 2030 and the National Plan. For example, there is no doubt that the tourism market in Taif is blooming, and it requires hospitality graduates who do not need a bachelor's degree. In 2017, we have a program transformation plan in motion for our 44 programs at our university. We have funded this ourselves and are reviewing all our programs in terms of quality standards and market needs. We are also shifting toward more online programs and also aim to increase the percentage of international students on our campus. Our aim here is to have 10% of the full-time student population be international by 2020, not to mention attract people from all over the world.
In 2017, we received approval for the restructuring of the university's colleges. Today, we have 15 colleges, including applied medicine, science, business, humanities, and more. Currently, we have 17,000 students at Bisha University, 80% of whom are female. Our headquarters are in Bisha, but we have three branches in smaller towns in the provinces of Tathleeth, Balgarn, and Al-Namas. In the future, these branches could be new universities in their own right. A university is important for local economic development. Having a local university is also particularly important for smaller towns to increase their opportunities to access higher education. Historically, students had to go to a larger city if they wanted to go further with their education. However, now this is not the case because they have a local university in their hometown. Now, parents are much more comfortable because their daughters can go to university nearby. We strongly believe that to succeed as a new university, we have to have cooperation and innovation with other countries, especially international universities. We have signed an agreement with the Malaysian Technology University's Engineering College and will start with an exchange of students by sending 10-15 students there to do training.
Customizing curricula to meet the needs of the private sector is a huge challenge for universities because the world is changing rapidly. For instance, in computer engineering, tools and processes are changing every two or three years, it is difficult for universities to keep up at this rhythm. In any case, this happens in every sector such as health and the humanities. If we focused our education in just the latest trends in the industry, our students would be shallow and narrow-minded. Instead, we give them tools and means to become strong and broad in knowledge to learn and upgrade their skills and competences following graduation. Vision 2030 needs a workforce that higher education institutions, such King Faisal University, can provide in order to be able to implement its programs; the economy needs large numbers of skilled people in order to transform and grow. We are working to develop a professional certification instead of full curricula so students can have the knowledge and the vocational experience. This will be in connection with professional societies in finance, accounting, or project management for instance. There are certain sectors where our students get graduate degrees, based not just on the transcript but a certain set of skills they must demonstrate their knowledge of a certain set of skills.
Typically, universities establish programs to educate people and prepare them for their future lives, not for the labor market. We need 10 years to establish an academic program and get it running successfully, and trying to change this rapidly is thus difficult. Universities should prepare their students for the labor market, not only by changing the curriculum, but also by changing other programs that are presented to students outside of the curriculum in order to establish a labor culture and awareness among the students for the market and the soft skills required. The top priority for us is preparing the soft skills that are needed in the labor market rather than modifying the academic curriculum given that the market is not that static. We have to prepare our students to look at the opportunities in the private sector and enter the specialties that are most in need in the market. We initiated a program to help our graduates get jobs through training, both during their time in university and after graduation. We have programs for graduates and they can attend training courses free of charge. We have built an ecosystem for graduates and this year one of the programs the government granted us is a job accelerator that will help people get on track with jobs and prepare them.
UNIVERSITIES
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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