历史

The idea of establishing the first university in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia came as a natural response to the educational revival the kingdom enjoyed since its foundation. With the reign of King Abdulaziz Al Saud, the kingdom’s government sought to propagate education throughout the country. His efforts were crowned when King Fahd assumed the office of the first Ministry of Education. Right after the first session of the Council of Ministers, he gave the following statement: “We will shortly establish the Saudi University; this is a foregone conclusion. This university will be one of the most prominent houses of culture and sciences, and will be worthy of our country where the light of Islamic faith and civilization has emanated.”[2]

As has already been stated, King Saud University (KSU) was established in accordance with the dictates of Royal Decree no. 17 of 21/4/1377H (1957). The actual study started in the College of Arts in the academic year 1377/78. Since that time, KSU went through many stages of developments, and its administrative organization received meticulous attention. Over a period of twelve years, the university enjoyed the endorsement of three Royal Decrees which grounded its Statute.

Royal Decree no. 112 of 26/12/1380H recognized that: King Saud University is an independent legal character, with a budget of its own, responsible for higher education, promoting scholarly research, and advancement of sciences and arts in the country. Naming the Minister of Education as the 校长 of the university, the Statute ordered that the University have a Vice President and Secretary General, and that each college and institute have a Dean, Vice Dean, and a council.

Royal Decree no M/11 of 8/5/1387H enforced the Statute of the University of the University of Riyadh (currently King Saud University), rescinding all earlier statutes, bylaws, and regulations. Of the main landmarks of the new Statute is the creation of the Higher Council of the University as one of its administrative powers. The membership of the new council includes two active or inactive university Presidents, two faculty members who had assumed such positions outside the country, or two native leading intellectuals.

The Higher Council of the University is the dominant power over the university affairs: it draws out policies, issues decisions to implement and achieve the objectives of the university (especially those pertaining to the creation of new colleges and departments), proposes budgets, and systems of faculty salaries, annuities, and financial awards.

Royal Decree no M/6 of 28/1/1392 superseded the Statute of 1387. With the new Statute, the membership of the Higher Council of the University includes five active or inactive university Presidents, or native leading intellectuals. To the council are also added the University Secretary General and two other non-university members. Again, the Statute dictates the creation of an Academic Council overlooking scholarly research and studies. The Higher Council of the University issues the bylaws governing the number of the Academic Council’s members, responsibilities, and powers.

These decrees were issued in response to the growing and widening needs of the university as the establishment of new colleges started. Between 1378-1380H, three colleges were established: the College of Sciences, College of Business (now the College of Public Administration) and the College of Pharmacy. In 1381/1382H women were first admitted into the College of Arts and the College of Public Administration.

Five years later (1385/1386H) the College of Agriculture was established. In the same year the College of Engineering and College of Education, having been under the Ministry of Education in cooperation with the UNESCO, were annexed to the University. A year later (1389/1390H) the College of Medicine opened. In 1394/1395H the Arabic Language Institute was inaugurated to serve non-Arabic speakers. At this time deanships of Admission and Registration, Students Affairs, Libraries were also established. Again, a year later (1396H) the College of Dentistry and the College of Applied Medical Sciences were added to the Riyadh campus, while launching at the same time the Abha based campus with the College of Education. In 1398H the Graduate College assumed its office in supervising and organizing all graduate programs in the various departments of the University.

At Abha, the College of Medicine was established according to Royal Order no. 3/M/380 of 29/2/1400H and was added to the University according Royal Directive no. 15128 of 29/6/1400H. Formal study there started in the academic year of 1401/1402H.

In 1401H another branch of the University opened at Qassim with three colleges: Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, and Economics and Administration. Formal study started in 1401/1402H academic year.

In 1402H, celebrating its 25th anniversary, the University of Riyadh went back to its original name of King Saud University at the orders of King Khalid bin Abdulaziz. In that year, too, the Deanship of Community Service and Continuing Education replaced the Center for Community Service, and King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) was formally opened.

Two years later (1404H) two other colleges were created: the College of Computer and Information Science Sciences and the College of Architecture and Planning. Later, in 1411H, the Institute of Languages and Translation was established to be turned four years later into the full-fledged College of Languages and Translation.

In 1414 the Royal ratification of the System of the Council of Higher Education and Universities was issued dictating that each university form its own Council which attends to its academic, administrative, and financial affairs, and carries out its general policy.

In 1417H the Council of Higher Education issued its decision no. 1282/A approving the creation of the Center for Consulting and Research which was renamed King Abdullah Center for Consulting and Research.

In 1418H Royal Decree no. 33 dictated the creation of a King Saud University Community College in Jazan, as well as the establishment of the College of Sciences at the Qassim campus.

In 1419H Royal Order no. 7/78/M of 11/3/1419 decreed that King Khalid University be created in the south. The branches of Imam Islamic University and of King Saud University consequently formed the new university. In the same year, after the issuance of the unified regulations for Graduate Studies at Saudi universities, the Graduate College became the Deanship of Graduate Studies, and the Deanship of Academic Research was established in accordance with the dictates of the System of Academic Research issued that year.

In 1421H the College of Medicine was established at the Qassim campus, and the Deanship of Community Service and Continuing Education was turned into the College of Applied Studies and Community Service.

In 1422H, the Community College in Riyadh was inaugurated according to the Cabinet Council no. 73 of 5/3/1422H. During the academic year of 1423/1424 the College of Science at Al-Jouf was established. That same year the College of Engineering was opened at the Qassim campus, and the creation of community colleges at Al-Majma’ah, Al-Aflaj, and Al-Qurayat was approved.

Beginning with the academic year 1424/1425H Qassim campus became an independent university. On 26/11/1424H the Council of Higher Education approved the promotion of the Department of Nursing, College of Applied Medical Sciences, into the College of Nursing.

The following were the Presidents of University since its inception:

Professor Abdulwahab bin Muhammad Hasan ‘Azzam 14/4/1377-8/7/1378H

Shaikh Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al-Mangour 12/7/1378-3/71380H

Professor Abdulaziz bin Muhammad Al-Khwaiter 1381-1391H

Professor Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Fadda 1381-6/2/1399H

Professor Mansour bin Ibrahim Al-Turki 7/2/1399-12/8/1410H

Professor Ahmad bin Muhammad Al-Dhubaib 13/8/1410-2/3/1416H

Professor Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Faisal 3/3/1416-2/3/1428H

Professor Abdullah bin Abdulrahman Al-Othman 3/3/1428H – now

Culture

King Saud University preserves and renews Arab and Muslim culture which upholds all human values where faith and reason animate the most fundamental human quest. [3]

Colleges

List of colleges

• preparatory year program

• about the preparatory year program
• Knowledge Building

Science Colleges

• College of Architecture and Planning,[4]
• College of Engineering,[5]
• College of Science,[6]
• College of Foods And Agriculture,[7]
• College of computer and Information Sciences,[8]
• College of Science in AlKharj,
• College of Engineering in alKharj,
• College of Arts and Science in Wady Addwaser

Health Colleges

• College of Medicine,[9]
• College of Dentistry,[10]
• College of Pharmacy,[11]
• College of Applied Medical Sciences,[12]
• College of Nursing,[13]
• College of Applied Medical Sciences In AlKharj

Humanities Colleges

• College of Arts,
• College of Education,
• College of Business Administration,
• College of Law and Political Science,
• [College of Languages and Translation],
• College of Tourism & Archaeology,
• Arabic Language Institute,
• College of Teaching

Community Colleges

• College of Applied Studies and Community Service,
• Community College in ALRiyadh

College of Medicine

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia witnesses exceptional progress in many fields such as health and science. King Saud University’s College of Medicine was established in 1387 H. (1967) during the reign of King Faisal. Actual studies began in 1389H. The choice of members for the Teaching Board and the supervision of exams until 1399 H. were done cooperatively between the faculty and London University. In 1394/1395H, the College opened a special department for female students and incorporated the Ministry of Health’s Prince ts name was changed to King Abd alAziz University Hospital to be utilized for training male and female students in the clinical stage. At the 25th anniversary of inauguration of King Saud University (1401H/1981), the building of College of Medicine and King Khalid University Hospital were inaugurated for teaching and health services. The College has also made agreements with different universities in America, Canada and U.K. to support this Academic Board in the College and to train graduate Saudi doctors, as well as to provide preparation for their higher studies and specialization in different medical disciplines.[14]

College of Science

The College of Science was established in 1958, one year after the founding of King Saud University. The College began with six departments: geology, zoology, botany, physics, chemistry, and mathematics. In the beginning, the College had few students and a small number of lectures halls and laboratories. In keeping with the growth of the university at large, the College has witnessed considerable progress in many respects. The number of departments has increased, laboratories have improved, and the College now attracts a large number of students.

College of Engineering

The College of Engineering was established as a joint project between the Ministry of Education of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and UNESCO in November 1962. This project lasted until 1969 when the College of Engineering became an official part of King Saud University.

The college started with three departments: the department of civil engineering (CE), the department of electrical engineering (EE), and the department of mechanical engineering (ME). In 1968, the department of architecture was established and it became a college in 1984 (1404 A.H.) under the name the College of Architecture and Planning.

In 1974 two departments were established: the department of chemical engineering (CHE) and the department of petroleum engineering (PE). In 1988 (1408 A.H.) surveying engineering (SE) was also established as a program in the department of civil engineering. In 1982 (1402A.H.), the program of industrial engineering was established in the department of mechanical engineering. Later on the program became the department of industrial engineering (IE) in 2002 (1423 A.H.). In sum, there are now seven departments offering the Bachelor of Science Degree in the following fields;

• • 1. Electrical Engineering
  • 2. Civil Engineering
  • 3. Surveying Engineering
  • 4. Mechanical Engineering
  • 5. Industrial Engineering
  • 6. Chemical Engineering
  • 7. Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering

The number of students of the college has risen from 17 in 1962 to more than 4000 students in 2005. The Faculty members have similarly grown in number from 4 to 210 (including lecturers and teaching assistants) within the same time span.

Riyadh Technology Valley

The Riyadh Techno Valley,[15] is one of the contributions of King Saud University in building partnership with the public and private sectors in the area of knowledge economics. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has adopted a long term economic strategy that shifts its focus to develop a knowledge-based economy. King Saud University (KSU) is seeking to play a full part in this strategy through the development of a substantial science park, “Riyadh Techno Valley - King Saud University (RTV- KSU)”, on its Riyadh campus. Through this project, KSU aims to satisfy the demands of the knowledge-based industries, and to commercialize its research outcomes, in addition to enhancing the research environment and encouraging researchers and graduates to participate in the incubation program and to establish spin-off knowledge-based companies. The University is currently focusing its research on Polymers, Catalytic and Bio Technology Pharmaceuticals.

Research Centers

• • Faculty of pharmacy Research Center
  • Faculty of Engineering Research Center
  • Faculty of Food and Agriculture Sciences Research Center
  • Faculty of Science Research Center
  • Faculty of Arts Research Center
  • Faculty of Languages and Translation Research Center
  • Faculty of Education Research Center
  • Faculty of Administration Science Research center
  • Faculty of Medicine Research Center
  • Faculty of Computer Science and Information Research Center
  • Faculty of Applied Medical Science Research Center
  • Faculty of Architecture and Planning Research Center
  • The Research Center of the Science and Medical studies Departments
  • Research Center for University Studies in Aleeshah

Library

King Saud University has a total of eighteen libraries ,[16] make up the main nerve of the academic and learning disciplines of the university. At the time of its transition into its current location, the university added the collections of nine of its libraries to the main library, forming thereby the central library. Renamed later Prince Salman’s Central library, it now enjoys seven branch libraries. Ideally housed in its seven floor building, with an area of 51400 square meters and more than 4000 reading seats, the central library occupies a central location among colleges and facilities, providing students, faculties, employees and other members of the community easy access to its location and holdings. Its collections include books, periodicals, manuscripts, government publications, academic theses, dissertations, press clippings, audio-visual and electronic media. The Libraries Deanship launched this site to help Internet surfers and interested individuals gain access to catalogs, holding locations, galleries, and electronic databases, along with other different facilities. We hope the site will familiarize those interested with our activities and services; should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Vice Rectorate for Knowledge Exchange and Technology Transfer

The Vice Rectorate for Knowledge Exchange and Technology Transfer,[17] is geared to implement sustainable development and the government’s direction towards building a knowledge-based society and promoting its potentials. The Rectorate undertakes to build collaboration and knowledge exchange ties as well as engage in joint projects with pertinent institutions and establishments at home and abroad. The Rectorate’s main goal is knowledge exchange and technology transfer in order to realize the University’s ultimate vision of building a knowledge-based society.

Launching developmental programs in tune with modern developments Establishing collaborative ties at home and abroad with pertinent knowledge institutions and experts Transferring technology into the community after appropriating it into the University Objectives

Establishing a knowledge-based culture and achieving sustainable development towards building a knowledge-based economy Accomplishing regional and international leadership for the University through specialized partnership and consolidation of creativity and innovation Establishing collaborative ties in the field of knowledge exchange, at the local, regional and international levels, with distinguished individuals and scholars as well as with outstanding academic institutions

Creating and implementing developmental programs to upgrade the University status and keep up with modern developments Promoting societal partnership and giving the opportunity to all members of the community to demonstrate their skills and capabilities Playing an effective role in the transfer of technology from the University into the community

In order to reach the above objectives, the vice-Rectorate has devised a working plan based on a selection of integrated and well articulated developmental programs, as well as the existence of a group of technical units supporting and facilitating these programs’ activities. These units are:

• • Strategic Studies Unit,[18]
  • Computer and Information Systems Unit,[19]
  • Reports Unit,[20]
  • Linguistic Follow-up and Translation Unit,[21]
  • Conferences and Events Unit,[22]
  • Artistic Design Unit,[23]
  • Daily Events Follow-up Unit,[24]
  • Quality Control Unit,[25]
  • Think-Tank Unit,[26]

Notable Programs

• • Prince Sultan International Program for Research Scholarships
  • [King Abdullah Institute for NANO Technology]
  • Prince Nayef Program for Intellectual Security Studies
  • Research Chairs Program
  • Riyadh Techno Valley Program
  • Nobel Laureates Program
  • Centers for Research Excellence Programs
  • ALUMNI programs
  • Intellectual Property Rights Programs
  • Knowledge Society Program
  • Riyadh Knowledge Corridor Program

Ranking

Webmetrics gave it rank 199 around the world for 2010, 18 for Asia and the 1st in the Arab World.[27]

QS world university ranking gave it 247 around the world, and 97 for Life Sciences & Biomedicine.[28]

One of the best 500 around the world in the famous world university ranking ARWU. [29]

Foreign students

Although primarily for Saudi students, the University also offers foreign students the opportunity to enroll through the Vice Rectorate for Knowledge Exchange and Technology Transfer in the fields of Engineering, Sciences, Arts, languages and Medicine.

Student housing

The University offers students housing within the student housing complex (Sakan At-Tulab)

External links

• Official Site
• King Saud University Digital Library
• More information about King Saud University
• College of education at King Saud University
• More information
• Teaching Jobs in Saudi Arabia

• KSA Universities Alumni Association of Jammu and Kashmir India