The Shura Council issues resolutions to develop King Abdulaziz University and the Northern Borders University
The Saudi Shura Council held its eighteenth regular session of the second year of its ninth term today, chaired by His Excellency the Speaker of the Council, Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Sheikh. The session included extensive discussions on the performance of several major educational institutions in the Kingdom, as part of the Council's oversight and legislative role in enhancing the efficiency of government agencies.
Strategic guidelines for King Abdulaziz University
At the beginning of the session, the Council issued an important resolution requiring King Abdulaziz University to measure the impact of its transformative initiatives. This directive comes within the context of ensuring the university's full readiness to implement the new "Universities System," issued by Royal Decree No. M/27 dated 2/3/1441 AH. This system represents a qualitative leap in the history of Saudi higher education, as it aims to grant universities controlled autonomy, enabling them to develop their own academic, financial, and administrative regulations, thereby enhancing spending efficiency and developing financial resources.
In its resolution, the Council stressed the importance of the university assessing its contribution to the effective and sustainable implementation of this system, in addition to requiring the university to develop accurate performance indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of existing international partnerships and agreements, to ensure that they achieve strategic goals and support institutional development.
Members' input: Focus on quality and social responsibility
The session witnessed broad interaction from council members after hearing the report from the Education and Scientific Research Committee. Council member Lubna Al-Ajmi emphasized the need to develop direct indicators that measure students' scientific, research, and community experiences, rather than relying solely on general indicators. For his part, Dr. Saleh Al-Shamrani called on the university to enhance its contribution to the fields of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and to focus on qualitative innovations in artificial intelligence, medical discoveries, and engineering, which aligns with the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 in transitioning towards a knowledge-based economy.
On the side of social responsibility, member Abdullah Al-Tawi called for expanding the university’s connection with the community and improving the electronic interface, while member Nasser Al-Dughaither praised the university’s efforts in supporting people with special needs, calling for these efforts to be a model to be followed by the rest of the universities.
Northern Border University and Labor Market Alignment
The council then moved on to discuss the annual report of the Northern Borders University for the academic year 2024. The discussions focused on the need to bridge the gap between educational outcomes and labor market demands. In this regard, council member Taqwa Omar called for the establishment of an institutional track for graduate follow-up, linked to performance indicators that accurately measure employment rates, time to job placement, and employer satisfaction levels. This step is considered a fundamental pillar for reducing unemployment rates and enhancing the efficiency of human capital in the northern regions.
International approvals and agreements
On the international relations front, the Council approved several memoranda of understanding and agreements, including a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Tanzania, a memorandum of cooperation between the Ministry of Sports and the Arab Organization for Administrative Development, in addition to agreements in the field of civil aviation and air transport with both Syria and the Republic of Cape Verde, reflecting the Kingdom’s keenness to enhance its international cooperation in various sectors.
