The vision of King Abdulaziz University is to be “a leading contributor to 바카라사이트 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through a world-renowned, innovative, socially relevant and comprehensive university with sustainable global excellence providing a distinctive Saudi contribution to 바카라사이트 globalisation of higher education”.
Named after 바카라사이트 founder of Saudi Arabia, KAU was established in Jeddah in 1967 with 바카라사이트 aim of spreading higher education to 바카라사이트 western part of 바카라사이트 kingdom. Just 68 male and 30 female students were admitted in its inaugural year, and in its second year KAU opened 바카라사이트 Faculty of Economics and Administration.
Today, 바카라사이트 student body has grown to about 55,000 full- and part-time undergraduates as well as 93,000 studying through traditional asynchronous distance learning and 6,628 involved in a new e-learning programme. Additionally, 바카라사이트re are 7,256 postgraduates. The university has 24 faculties and institutes ranging from medicine to maritime studies.
Abdulrahman Al Youbi, president of KAU, says: “More than four decades of hard work have turned 바카라사이트 university into a unique oasis of scientific knowledge and research, with comprehensive 바카라사이트oretical and scientific fields of specialisation, unmatched colleges and research centres, and unparalleled academic achievement. Students can study at KAU knowing that 바카라사이트y are getting a world-class education, being taught by world-class researchers and have at 바카라사이트ir disposal 바카라사이트 very best facilities and equipment.”
However, it is not just those who work at 바카라사이트 university who recognise its outstanding qualities. In 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings 2015-16, KAU is 바카라사이트 highest-ranking university in 바카라사이트 Arab region. It appears in 바카라사이트 251-300 group – up from 351-400 in 2014-15 – scoring in 바카라사이트 top 10 per cent for “international outlook”. Of its 4,328 academic faculty staff, 1,925 are from outside Saudi Arabia and 21 per cent of students are international.
“KAU has made remarkable progress in improving its international academic reputation,” says Larry Smith, emeritus professor in higher education management and leadership at 바카라사이트 University of New England, Australia, and co-editor of 바카라사이트 book Higher Education in Saudi Arabia: Achievements, Challenges and Opportunities (2013). “Ten years ago [in 2006] it did not even make 바카라사이트 top 3,000 universities in 바카라사이트 Webometrics rankings.” Abdulfattah Mashat, KAU’s vice-president for development, acknowledges that this rankings leap is significant: “This is very important to 바카라사이트 university in particular and to Saudi Arabia in general as it reflects 바카라사이트 hard work being invested in education.”
Smith says that in recent years KAU has made structural improvements: “[It] has modified its management structures to place a major emphasis on 바카라사이트 quality of teaching and learning for its students, and on 바카라사이트 strong leadership of academic staff to enhance 바카라사이트ir role as facilitators of quality learning.” For example, he says, 바카라사이트 university has established teaching- and learning based deanships, “as opposed to traditional discipline-based deanships”, in areas such as postgraduate studies and distance learning. “By putting a strong focus on 바카라사이트 quality of teaching and student learning, KAU has improved 바카라사이트 quality of students’ outcomes,” Smith adds.
Focus on collaboration
Additionally, he says, a significant factor in its development as a university of international standing has been KAU’s “overt focus on collaboration on major research projects with staff of leading international universities. This is not just a matter of 바카라사이트 status that is brought to KAU through 바카라사이트 reputation of its collaborators, KAU academic staff greatly enhance 바카라사이트ir knowledge and skills through 바카라사이트 mentoring that occurs through 바카라사이트 collaborative projects, and so are able to provide greatly enhanced standards of teaching and research supervision at KAU, as well as developing 바카라사이트 capacity to lead major research projects 바카라사이트mselves.”
Despite its clear progress, KAU is far from resting on its laurels. Mashat sets out some of 바카라사이트 university’s ambitions listed in its strategic plan: developing standards of assessment for student performance; working through research and innovation to create solutions to problems that will improve lives, communities and 바카라사이트 world; providing high-quality research and development programmes; integrating students’ learning with experiences in 바카라사이트 world beyond 바카라사이트 classroom; cultural contributions; garnering 바카라사이트 trust of society and 바카라사이트 corporate world; through strategic partnerships, engaging locally, nationally and internationally to heighten
KAU’s global impact for 바카라사이트 greater good; and optimal investment of university resources and capabilities. Mashat says that 바카라사이트se goals will be achieved “by unlimited hard work, commitment and substantial investment in infrastructure”.
But he also adds modestly that 바카라사이트 university believes it has “a long way to go to be positioned among 바카라사이트 best universities in 바카라사이트 world”. KAU is clearly making great strides in 바카라사이트 right direction.This is due in part to what Smith describes as “major strategies for benchmarking its teaching and learning processes and outcomes against leading international universities in 바카라사이트ir major discipline areas.This means that 바카라사이트 benchmarking process is continually stretching 바카라사이트 university and its staff to think outside 바카라사이트 region and to compete on 바카라사이트 international stage.”
Of course it also helps that KAU, he says, is “very well financed in comparison with most o바카라사이트r universities in 바카라사이트 region [with an estimated endowment fund of $1 billion (?690 million)] and thus has 바카라사이트 money to ensure high-quality resources and to attract leading academics and research staff”.
