Academia Magazine Issue 2

Academia Issue 2 - 2017

HRH Princess Lolowah Alfaisal talks about the role & success of Saudi women

Co - Founders HRH. Prince Khalid Al Faisal Bin AbdulAziz Al-Saud Chairman, Board of Trustees

HH. Prince Khalid Bin Fahad Bin Khalid Al-Saud King Faisal Foundation (KFF)

HRH. Prince Turki Al-Faisal Bin Abdulaziz King Faisal Foundation (KFF)

HH (Dr). Prince Turki Bin Saud Bin Mohammed Al-Saud President King AbdulAziz Centre for Science & Technology (KACST)

HH. Prince Bandar Bin Saud Bin Khalid Al-Saud King Faisal Foundation (KFF)

HRH. Prince Sultan Bin Bandar Al-Faisal Bin Abdulaziz King Faisal Foundation (KFF)

Al-Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdullah Kamel Dallah Al Baraka Holding Company

Al-Sheikh Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Jomaih Al Jomaih Holding Company

Al-Sheikh Yahya Bin Mohamed Binladin Saudi Binladin Group

HE. Dr. Qasem Bin Othman Al-Qassabi King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center (KFSHRC)

Engr. Ahmed Jazzar President Boeing-Saudi Arabia

Mr. Andy Carr BAE Systems Saudi Arabia

‫شركـــة الجـمـيـــح القــــابـضـة‬ Al-Jomaih Holding Company

Eng. Steve Schmitt United Technologies

Mr. Jean-Yves Tolot Thales International

Dr. Mohammed Bin Yahaya Al-Shehry King Saud University

Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdul Karim Al-Musallam Dr. Abdulrahman Bin Mohammad Abouammoh King Saud University

Dr. Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Al-Ohly Ministry of Education

Dr. Abdulrahman Bin Obaied Al Youbi King Abdulaziz University

Dr. Mansour Bin Suleiman Al Saeed King Saud University

H.E. Dr. Mohammed Bin Ali Alhayaza President, Alfaisal University

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Cover Story HRH Princess Lolowah Alfaisal is serving her

country in different capacities

College of Medicine Graduate achievement in Jeddah

Alfaisal Model United Nations Society

College of Science The College of Science & General Studies (COSGS) envisions becoming one of the leading science colleges in the region

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College of Engineering

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Student Affairs

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Facility Department

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World University Rankings for Arab Region

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Library

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Alfaisal’s Career Expo

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College of Business

The First Engineering Expo and Competition

Editorial Team Ms. Abrar Khalifa Alogaiel Ms. Sarah Al Bassam Mr. Waleed bin Huzaim Ms. Elizabeth Marnell Mr. Rovelyn Rico

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Photography MSA Med Times Photographers Mr. Rovelyn Rico Head of MPR Department Mrs. Safia Dart

Academia Reporters Mr. Mohammad Sharique

Contact details PR & Marketing Department, Alfaisal University P.O.Box 50927, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia Tel. No +966 112157817 Email: pr@alfaisal.edu

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Magazine design by Bloomay s.a.r.l.

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Mrs. Safia Dart

Welcome to the second issue of Academia!

In this issue we share with you an exclusive interview with HRH Princess Lolowah Alfaisal who is an inspiration for many and shares her views on women in leadership. I’d like to thank to thank HRH Princess Lolowah for giving us this opportunity and for all those involved in making it happen.

With all the recent changes the Kingdom has been experiencing, we have seen quite a few firsts. In an article published in Destination Riyadh “The Pioneering Spirit of Saudi� I came across some amazing frontrunners, who have been honoured as Saudi firsts - most of whom were women. From the first female Saudi lawyer to the first Saudi woman to climb Everest, we are now more than ever experiencing changes and the empowerment of women.

From the very inception of this university we have been fortunate enough to have some of the finest women who have played a leading role in the advancement of Alfaisal. HRH Princess Maha bint Mishari played a key role in the acceptance of the first cohort of women students to Alfaisal in 2010 and has pioneered the way in creating equal opportunities for our women, developing them academically and co circularly.

Today, women make up 55% of our student body and we are committed in ensuring we present our young women with the same opportunities we do to our men. We have created a unique shared learning environment for our students that help them to exchange ideas, in a community that is culturally diverse. We bring internationalism home, so that our young men and women are equipped with the skills they need to face the real world. We are now seeing young women taking the lead in research, in engineering, and are at the frontrunners in public health.

In this issue we feature some exclusive interviews of leading women in our society who share their experiences as students, mothers, graduates and entrepreneurs who I hope will be an inspiration to all.

Enjoy the read!

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“My advice to Saudi women...

Don’t let anything stop you from achieving your goals and dreams...”

- HRH Princess Lolowah Alfaisal -

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HRH Princess Lolowah Alfaisal Vice Chair & General Supervisor of Board of Trustees Effat University Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

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Princess Lolowah Alfaisal is the granddaughter of King Abdul-Aziz Bin Saud and the daughter of Faisal bin Abdul Aziz, and Queen Effat Al-Thinayaan, may God rest their souls. HRH Princess Lolowah has continued to serve on the Board of Trustees of the King Faisal Foundation, established in honor of her father, since its founding in 1976. In 1998, HRH Princess Lolowah assisted her mother, Queen Effat, in supervising the first private school for girls in Saudi Arabia, Dar Al-Hanan School which has been established since 1955.

Queen Effat founded the first private college for women in the Kingdom, Effat College, in 1999. As the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and the General Supervisor of the now renamed Effat University and Vice Chairperson of its Board of Trustees, HRH has partnered with the government of Saudi Arabia to promote both educational and career opportunities for women. HRH has made great strides in forging a path for women to follow in achieving their social and economic goals within the Kingdom.

Serving her country in different capacities, HRH Princess Lolowah has participated in several economic and political forums and missions. She is a member of the Committee of International Trade as part of the Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industries and has represented the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in exchanges and collaborative forums. Furthermore, HRH has served and participated as a speaker and co –Chair in the Council of 100 leaders of the World Economic Forum and is still currently a member of its summit agenda.

To date, HRH Princess Lolowah has received three honorary degrees from prestigious institutions. On 24 May 2009, Mount Holyoke College in the U.S. awarded her the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters for her work in advancing the standing of women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In 2011, Tokai University in Japan awarded HRH an Honorary PhD for her efforts in promoting women in engineering. In 2013, HRH received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University Salford in Manchester. On 23 February 2014, HRH was honoured in the category of Education at the 2014 Arab Woman Awards KSA.

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A. Interview with HRH Princess Lolowah Alfaisal

There is no correlation between my success and my being a princess. Success comes with the ambition and determination to make your dreams a reality regardless of your position. First and foremost, I will always be Lolowah Al Faisal, a Saudi woman fiercely determined to contribute to society by empowering women through a world-class education, thereby, enabling them to realize their full potential in life.

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What would you say is the most difficult challenge for Saudi women in pursuing success?

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Who was your role model growing up?

My mother and father are the greatest role models that I have ever had. For me, they were incredible – they were so inspirational in all the amazing things that they accomplished for the prosperity and progress of their nation: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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What did you want to do or who did you want to be when you were growing up as a child?

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Public service is one of the most important virtues that my parents instilled in me, as well as all of my sisters and brothers, so I grew up wanting to contribute in every possible way to our country and I have chosen to dedicate my life specifically to education.

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What was the biggest sacrifice that you had to make to get to where you are today?

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You cannot have success without sacrifice. Surely, everyone has had to make sacrifices on the road to success. However, you can mitigate these sacrifices if you achieve the right work-life balance with regards to all the decisions that you will need to make along the way. I thank Allah that I have been able to do this.

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Do you think that you would have faced more obstacles on your way to success had you not been a princess?

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Saudi Arabia is not an environment that is restrictive for women. Saudi women should be aware of their rights in the Quran and Sunnah which are upheld within the laws of Saudi Arabia. All women are entitled to an excellent education and selfdetermination in choosing how they will contribute to society.

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What advice would you give to young Saudi women today?

Fear nothing but Allah! Don’t let anything stop you from achieving your goals and dreams. As long as you are on the right track, Allah will always be there by your side to support you.

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What do you think are the top three or three main reasons that stop Saudi women from being successful or achieving their goals.

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The role of the Saudi woman is constantly evolving to keep pace with the change that is sweeping our country. Saudi women will continue to excel and to empower, and once they attain their education, nothing can stop them from achieving their goals.

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What do you believe is the main reason for focus on improvement in the field of education for females in Saudi Arabia?

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Education is the catalyst for self-determination as well as for the advancement of society as a whole. Today, within the Kingdom, all women have access to an education.

However, we now need to focus our efforts on providing women with a

world-class education to ensure their preparedness for the future of our country’s knowledge-based economy.

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What have the alumni of Dar Al Hanan gone on to achieve?

Many of Dar Al Hanan's alumni are leaders and pioneers in diverse fields at respectable institutions and they carry the schools’ vision and determination to succeed.

There are many Dar Al Hanan alumni in various careers such as academia, medicine, journalism, television, art, and business. Among them is the President of Effat University, Dr. Haifa Jamal Al Lail who now imparts the legacy and values of Queen Effat to a new generation.

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What was Queen Effat's role in the modern education of women in Saudi Arabia?

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Queen Effat –may Allah rest her soul-had a great vision for women’s education in Saudi Arabia.

She was a pioneer and advocate for women’s education in the Kingdom.

She established Dar Al-Hanan – the first formal model school for girls – in 1955, and established Effat College in 1999. It really gives me great pride and joy to see my mother’s ambassadors continue on her path with great passion.

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Whilst the tide is changing, and more and more women are being elevated into leadership roles in Saudi Arabia, do you feel that they are being fully appreciated for the unique qualities and abilities that they bring to the work place?

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Women leaders in Saudi Arabia are now more involved than ever before and are dedicated to the welfare of our country. Women now serve in various positions such as the Shura Council, and have garnered the respect of all Saudis in their contributions to the prosperity of our country. I believe that all Saudi women will continue to serve at all levels of government and to contribute to all sectors of society as well.

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We can see that it’s through your leadership that the

traditions, values, and the legacy of your family have been upheld. Do you think women possess natural skills in leadership?

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Speaking for myself, I was raised by two great leaders: my father King Faisal and my mother Queen Effat and I was influenced by them in every way. If we were to examine one of the main roles of a women in society, such as the care and nurturing of children, we would have to acknowledge that every woman has natural leadership skills. Truly, these skills are crucial in the upbringing and training of the next generation in furthering the advancement of our society.

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What is one characteristic that you believe every female leader should possess?

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Every leader must observe and seek to preserve our Islamic values, within the fabric of society, lest all that we have worked to achieve come unraveled when challenges present themselves as they surely will. If she possesses this trait, her contribution will be both blessed and boundless - truly complete.

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What is the biggest challenge facing female leaders today?

Certainly, we still have room for improvement to enable women to fully exercise their legal rights.

However, as I mentioned earlier in this interview, nothing can prevent a woman from being successful if she has the will and determination to succeed.

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How was the idea for Effat conceived?

Effat is a continuation of the legacy of education that my late father and mother established.

This legacy emphasizes excellence in teaching while maintaining the Islamic traditions and the values of our society. After my late mother became ill, and I became her representative in charge of Effat, my goal was to enable students to move beyond the traditional means of learning and to identify problems and to find their solutions. We started

in 1999 with a total of 36 students in two academic programs. We worked hard in founding the college, in constructing the campus, in developing the curricula, and in hiring faculty and staff. Now, we have more than 3000 students in 13 undergraduate programs and in 3 graduate programs as well. Effat University has cultivated numerous affiliations with national and international institutions and universities to further achieve excellence in teaching and learning outcomes.

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How do you see Alfaisal contributing to the educational legacy of the late King Faisal and Queen Effat?

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Alfaisal University contributes definitively to the legacy of King Faisal and Queen Effat as it is an innovative University that is renowned and internationally affiliated as it utilizes its expertise to serve and to further educational initiatives within the Kingdom. I am confident that Alfaisal University will continue to contribute to society and that we will witness even more great achievements from this institution in the future.

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Your favorite quote...

My favorite quote that I always use is by my mother Queen Effat who always used to say: " If you educate women... you build nations ".

Q.

One book that you recommend...that successful people read a lot... besides the Quran.

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I would recommend Effat Al Thunayan: An Arabian Queen by Dr. Joseph Kechichian as it talks about Queen Effat’s legacy and her great influence on Saudi Arabia. I was very happy and proud when this book was published, hence, I recommend this book.

Q. A.

If you had to describe yourself in one word...

The Daughter of King Faisal and Queen Effat.

Q. A.

What would you consider your greatest strength...

My greatest strength is the legacy of King Faisal and Queen Effat and my determination to continue on their path to serve our country.

Q. A.

If you had free time, what would you do...

I always like to spend my free time walking by the sea, collecting seashells, or reading.

Q. A.

Who do you admire...

My children and my grandchildren are very precious to me and I admire them the most of all.

Q.

Was there any one particular event that inspired you and made an impact on your life that you can share with our readers?

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I am always happy and satisfied when I see Effat Ambassadors graduating every year, especially, in ever increasing numbers. At every graduation, it really inspires me to give more to our country and to society.

Q. A.

What has been your biggest obstacle?

Honestly, I do not think that there has ever been one big obstacle that stopped me from achieving my goals. There are, of course, challenges that anyone may encounter in their journey to pursue their vision and dreams; however, with the blessings of Allah was I able to overcome these challenges and to enjoy the pleasure of success.

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Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time? And what do you hope to have accomplished?

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I hope to see Effat University continue to achieve excellence in education. I hope to see it ever expanding with more unique programs, valuable research, and being recognized as a world-class University; all while continuing to provide exceptional services for our local community.

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Dr. Mohammed Alhayaza President, Alfaisal University

Welcome to the latest edition of Academia Magazine!

As president of Alfaisal, and on behalf of our University, I would like to take this opportunity to thank HRH Princess Loulowah Alfaisal for graciously accepting an interview with Academia.

HRH Princess Lolowah Alfaisal is the proud daughter of our University’s namesake his majesty King Alfaisal – May Allah rest his soul. In the interview, HRH Princess Loulowah seeks to share both her personal experience, and the experience of our nation, in striving to achieve excellence in education as well as in furthering leadership opportunities for all women.

Speaking of excellence in education, I am pleased to announce that the U.S. News and World Report recently released their Top 2016 U.S. News Arab Region Universities Rankings, and that out of the 125 universities reviewed that Alfaisal University received a ranking of 12th overall. For the Kingdom, we were ranked 5th and of the private universities we were ranked first. We are truly honored that the U.S. News and World Report has recognized our brilliant faculty, our outstanding students, and our expanding research programs with this ranking.

In addition to an exclusive interview with Her Royal Highness Princess Loulowah Alfaisal, our Marketing & Public Relations department, once again, has published an outstanding and informative read to keep us all up-to-date on the latest achievements by all at Alfaisal. Enjoy!

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Interview with Dr. Faisal Mubarak Former Alfaisal Provost for academic affairs & the chief academic advisor

By Mohammad Sharique Ahmad

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r. Faisal Al Mubarak served Alfaisal University as the Provost of Academic Affairs and the Chief Academic Officer for over seven years. A proud father of seven children, Dr. Faisal has provided his family the opportunity to see the world as they have had the fortuity to live in many cities throughout the Kingdom and abroad.

During his own childhood, his family moved from Kuwait to the Kingdom. From his years in the small town of Saud Port, bordering Kuwait, to larger cosmopolitan cities like Dammam and Riyadh, not to mention a 10- year stint completing his graduate degree in America, he has acquired an excellent appreciation of the many different cultures that he has had the opportunity to be exposed to and experience. He credits these first hand opportunities of experiencing culturally different mindsets as a major factor in forming the basis of his appreciation of diversity.

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n the early 70’s, Dr. Faisal studied at the Model Capital Institute in Riyadh, where royal families and ministers studied, giving him yet another completely different perspective on life. His father worked in Mecca for a time, so he spent a considerable amount of his youth in the Western Province.

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ven though he had been accepted into the college of Medicine at King Saud University, Dr. Faisal loved architecture so much that he opted to major in it instead. After receiving his Bachelors of Arts in Architecture in 1981, he moved to the US where he completed his Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles in 1986. He then relocated to Seattle where he graduated with a Ph.D. in Urban Design and Planning in 1992.

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pon returning to the Kingdom in early 1993, Dr. Faisal Mubarak became a faculty member at King Saud University and within two years became the chair of his department.

Simultaneously, he was recruited to be the Director of the Metropolitan Strategy Plan for Riyadh City by AR Riyadh Development Authority. In 1995 he was appointed Deputy Mayor of the city, and in the summer of 1996 he assumed the responsibilities of Acting Mayor of Riyadh. Between 2003 and 2010, he served as Deputy Minister for HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud in the commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA). After completing his term, he returned to teaching at King Saud University and was promoted to full professor in 2005.

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hen asked about his time at Alfaisal, Dr. Faisal replied “I was very happy at Alfaisal and during my stay I was focused on reaching my goals. My primary goal was to help Alfaisal become the best university in the Kingdom, and eventually the best in the region.

And with the help of Allah, I had hoped to make it one of the best universities in the world”.

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e spoke of how the key or common denominator in all of his experience is leadership. ‘ If you have both, the qualities and qualifications of a good leader, and they mesh with your technical and professional degree then that’s what will set you apart from other people’.

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actors such as his health and well-being are secondary to the importance of actually liking the job that he is in and the work that comes with it. “If I don’t like my work, I don’t work!

My battery has always been charged by my love for the work that I do and the resources and achievements that come with it”.

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hen discussing what the culture at Alfaisal University, Dr. Faisal believes that academically it is excellent, and that the students are very special. In his time he heard a lot of positive feedback from the community, parents and also from prospective employers in the job market that consider Alfaisal graduates as well rounded individuals motivated and committed. “You shouldn’t be just anybody, he remarked, “be someone special.”

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r. Faisal recalled a summary from a board meeting board where the topic “What is attractive about Alfaisal was being discussed”. Some of the highlights, he added included:

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“Organisation” “We mean what we say.”

“Commitment, discipline, and leadership.”

“Transparency, simplicity, and welcoming.”

The more knowledge you get, the more humble you should be.

He quoted a hadith – “Treat others as much as you’d like to be treated yourself.”

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oncerning his perception of the rapid progress that Alfaisal University has made, Dr. Faisal said that he sees us as an A grade University and he’d like to see us obtain the next level- an A+. He concurred that Alfaisal University is doing a phenomenal job and has had exceptional progress in a very short amount of time. He commented on how proud he was when in his time the 1st rank Alfaisal University achieved in the Kingdom was in Citation Impact of Clinical Medical and Health Science Papers (Thomson Reuters).

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o conclude our interview, Dr. Faisal reflected on his hopes for Alfaisal in the future, ‘I hope to see our students in the best place in life that they can be, leaders in their chosen fields. I don’t want them to be just ordinary people. I hope that in years to come Alfaisal vision of being a world-class research university with the very best of students that come for knowledge and the value of the degree that they will receive from Alfaisal’.

You shouldn’t be just anybody, be someone special.

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Interview with HRH Dr. Maha Bint Mishari Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Vice President of External Relations

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r. Maha Bint Mishari Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud joined Alfaisal University in 2008 as the Executive Director of External Relations. Appointed by the Board of Trustees, her appointment was viewed as a strong commitment by the members of the board to usher in and facilitate female representation in key leadership roles at Alfaisal. In addition to overseeing and managing Institutional Development, Community Services, Outreach programs, the Alumni Office and the Public Relations department, Dr. Maha has been extremely active and personally involved in the establishment of the university since her arrival. As a result of her outstanding achievements, she was recently appointed Vice President of External Relations.

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n addition to serving as the Vice President of External Relations at Alfaisal University, Dr. Maha holds a number of other esteemed posts, e.g., founding member and Governor of the American College of Physicians Saudi Chapter and board member of the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute. At King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center her appointments include, in addition to her primary role as an instructor for interns and residents on patient care, Co-director of the Centre for Clinical Studies & Empirical Ethics and member of the Quality Assurance & Quality Improvement Office.

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t Alfaisal University, she is currently involved in the implementation of all strategic plans to achieve the vision and mission upon which Alfaisal University has been established.

Through her tireless efforts, she works to ensure that Alfaisal University will continue to grow as an institution and realize its vision and mission to become a world-class research institute; she is careful to consider the personal educational experience of each student who is welcomed on campus each passing year. Her hope and dream for each student is that they become well-rounded successful individuals who will in turn serve to promote the reputation and legacy of Alfaisal University for years to come.

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r. Maha recognizes that her job provides her with a rare and fortuitous opportunity to lay the groundwork for a future world-class research institute. She says, “It’s such a gift! It’s something I would volunteer to do myself had nobody offered me the job.”

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oncerning the environment at Alfaisal, she believes that all is in place for continued success both now and in the future. She has found the students to be bright, eager and full of promise. According to Dr. Maha, the students are the driving force of the university: “I believe so much in our youth and in the promise and the hope that they bring. The nice thing is that all you need to do is just stand there and provide them the chance and the opportunity and watch them do an amazing job.” Having been a mentor and a tutor as well as a physician, she says that nothing lives up to the pleasure of having the young students come in with all their potential and to see them realize it during their time at Alfaisal. She continues to be awed by the passion for research that all Alfaisal students hold, an attribute that makes our institution very successful and unique.

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hen queried about the late King Abdullah’s vision for education, she told us of how strongly she felt about his vision of empowering women. King Abdullah, being a loving uncle and guardian, had contributed considerably to her becoming the successful woman that she is today. During his reign, she believes that he accomplished so much by both empowering and providing Saudi women with opportunities to realize their dreams and goals within the context of their religion and traditions. She has great faith that King Salman’s leadership will continue to further expand and uphold this remarkable legacy.

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H.E. Dr. Alhayaza, President of Alfaisal University and Dr. Maha Bint Mishari Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud meet Helene Hellmark Knutsson (left of Dr. Maha), Swedish Minister of Higher Education and Research with her delegation from the Ministry.

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r. Maha further shared with us that her father was her greatest role model and the most influential person in her life. Ever optimistic, she is ardent in her belief that every person has it within themselves to realize their full potential in life and they should strive to do so.

Concerning her personal life and hobbies, reading science fiction and swimming are among her most favorite things to do when relaxing. She is also a huge fan of Star Wars and Star Trek and loves to read comics.

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egarding her future with Alfaisal University, Dr. Maha hopes to continue working here for the foreseeable future. She would like to see Alfaisal University become a thriving, bustling and lively campus with satellite campuses in other cities in the Kingdom. One of her most memorable moments here, was when she first walked into the Late King Faisal’s palace.

She told us of how it brought back a lot of fond memories of the good times that she had spent with her family there.

I believe so much in our youth and in the promise and the hope that they bring. The nice thing is that all you need to do is just stand there and provide them the chance and the opportunity and watch them do an amazing job.

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r. Maha told us that if she were to retire today that she would more than anything else, want to spend her time relaxing on a beautiful sandy beach with lots of palm trees, and reading great books. She would also like to travel the entire world someday, and would especially like to visit China and Japan as these countries are full of rich cultural history that she would love to learn of firsthand.

Interview with Mrs. Rashan Al Hoshan Owner of exhibit design company & board member of Hoshan Group and Kingdom Holding Company

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he owner of her own successful exhibit design company, and board member of Hoshan Group and Kingdom Holding Company, Rashan Al Hoshan has been named as one of the most influential Arab Business Women by Forbes Magazine. She describes how perseverance and an unusual combination of studies came together to enable her to work on a unique project, the Alfaisal University Museum.

I encourage people to follow their hearts even if it doesn’t really make sense in the beginning.

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y mom and her friends were all educated. They were all professional women and they all worked to make a difference in society.

he and a group of her friends were the ones who started the first all-female computer institute in Riyadh. And that was a big deal at that time - all women teaching at the only certified place to go and get a qualification in computer language. Imagine! Everyone who graduated from there got a job. And that was unheard of in the eighties. Those were my first role models.

They were all really impressive women.

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had always wanted to go into medicine. Medicine was in the family – my grandmother always called me her ‘little doctor.’ So I grew up wanting to be a doctor.

ut my senior year was so challenging, and I burned out to a point, that I decided I didn’t want to study that hard forever. Of course, now I know that no matter what you study, it’s always going to be hard work.

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heard a dean of a university recently say: "We need to teach our young people not only how to succeed but, when they fall, how fast they need to get up." Because we’re going to fall, we’re all going to fall repeatedly, and you might have to start over again and again.

I restarted my career several times. What I think helped me a lot was that I found new challenges were also exciting ones. It’s hard and disappointing, but it’s important to be able to get up again and continue to get up. Never give up trying.

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n college I took graphic design, sculpting, painting, and I enjoyed them a lot. I tried a couple of years in architecture, and I tried interior design and I combined those with some art classes.

I encourage people to follow their hearts even if it doesn’t really make sense in the beginning.

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ut then the Gulf War came. During the war, I thought, ‘I have no idea what’s happening.

I’ve got to be part of the future, I’ve got to be part of the change that makes this better.”

eing young and ambitious and thinking we can fix everything, I decided to go into politics to understand what was happening. I absolutely enjoyed studying international law, Middle Eastern studies and American politics at the Centre for Global Studies in the American University in Washington. After I finished, I worked at a human rights conference. I decided that I knew more about what was going on, but I didn’t want to do this for the rest of my life.

There was too much conflict.

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found a program in New York that accepted all of my architecture and interior design classes, and allowed me to take one more year of prerequisites to qualify for their master’s degree program in Interior Design. One day, one of my classmates came to me and said, “Listen, there’s a new program called Exhibit Design, and it’s where the future of interior design is going.”

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o finally it all started to make sense, because one needs to understand not only the client’s message but the purpose of the message.

fter I graduated, I came to Riyadh and within a couple of years, I made a niche name for myself as a designer. Eventually the family company Hoshan group acquired my business.

I worked from the bottom up in Hoshan from designer to Board level, over a period of twelve years.

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fter a few years of management, I realised that design work in museums was really where my heart was and the market now had a demand for this service. So I decided to start my company again, concentrating on exhibit design and I partnered with my husband Mohamed Gaoua, who is also an interior architect.

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e’ve done, for example, an exhibit for Zahra, for King Fahed in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, and I’m working on an exhibit now for the King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue. I studied design and I studied politics to be able to put a project like this together – to understand the message that someone wants to give, and to be able to convey it through design in an effective manner that visitors can interact with, enjoy and understand.

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ing Faisal as a person, from what I learned about him from his family and his servants, was humble, he was simple, and he was also very sharp and strong. He had a side to him that involved poetry, and a side to him that was very delicate with his children, and that is the King who everyone talks about.

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he thing about him that made him unique to me, was the kind of woman he chose to be in his life. She was the only one who was called queen. He chose a queen who made a difference to the life of every Saudi woman that came after her. I found passion in exploring how to bring that side of her out to the public, when I worked on designing the Al Faisal Museum at one point in time.

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he rest was a responsibility to preserve correctly the history of the palace. We took pictures and documented everything: from the knives and forks to the palace lighting.

Children played there and cousins got married there. The stories of the people who lived there is the part for me that would be ideal to talk about.

M

y favourite museum is the Churchill Museum in London. From the point of view of design, the complexity of thought is just incredible. Every time I work on a project, I go back to that in my mind. It’s a political museum of course, but it is very well done. I’ve seen many museums and temporary exhibits, and loved them all, but Churchill for me is the most sophisticated one.

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Message from THE DEAN

D

ear College of Medicine Family: Welcome to an exciting new academic year! Especially, I would like extend a warm welcome to the new students to our family!

Truly, we are pleased to have you here with us in the college of medicine.

Our upperclassmen, and your new colleagues, are ready to share with you their most recent achievements in: qualifying exams, e.g., the USMLE exam; research and publications; as well as their outstanding efforts in service to our local community.

Your new professors, who will serve as your mentors, are ranked first in the Kingdom for research in health sciences both in terms of publications and grants awarded. one family and we Today, we are all l to excellence in al are all committed of e id ts side and ou that we do both in room. ss cla the

We are unwavering in our efforts to assist Alfaisal in achieving the rank of a world-class university as stated in both our university’s vision and mission statements.

Students, I wish you all the best during this academic year.

For those of you who will be graduating in the spring, I wish you continued success in your future endeavors.

Khaled M. AlKattan Professor of Surgery Dean, College of Medicine

COLLEGE OF MEDICINE INAUGURATION OF SIMULATION CENTER 17th March 2015 It is with great pleasure that we announce the formal Inaguration of the Simulation Center that took place today in the College of Medicine.

Among the distinguished guests were Princess Maha, Dr. Khaled Al-Kattan the Dean College of Medicine, Dr. Mohammad Zafar, Dr. Dana Bakheet the Vice Dean for Women, and Dr. Nasir Afsar.

After the opening ceremony, guests were given a tour of the now officially opened Simulation Center.

The center will provide medical students with a unique opportunity to practice with simulated patients in order to enhance their learning experiences within the College of Medicine.

On behalf of the Dean, Dr Khaled Al-Kattan, the College of Medicine Faculty and Staff we would like to congratulate all who have contributed to this successful project.

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College of Medicine Specific agreement for scientific cooperation in medicine and health sciences between Alfaisal University and the University of Sherbrooke, Canada We are proud to announce that a formal agreement of collaboration has been signed between Alfaisal University and the University of Sherbrooke.

The University of Sherbrooke, situated in the heart of Quebec, Canada offers a unique opportunity for both the faculty and students of Alfaisal University College of Medicine. Not only does this agreement offer a rich cultural experience, but also in the following areas of academic collaboration:

Faculty

a) Faculty participation in teaching basic medical sciences at AU at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

b) Short-term visits for teaching and research (up to 3 months), allowing colleagues from both institutions to collaborate in basic and medical research.

c) Sabbatical leave as granted by the respective institutions.

Graduate Students

a) Faculty from both institutions may accept students for a training period of 3-6 months. These students should be registered on M.Sc. or Ph.D programs, thereby, permitting them to initiate new research programs.

Internship Agreements would be signed by the parties concerned.

b) Alternatively, graduate students pursuing degrees in the M.Sc. or Ph.D programs may be accepted into the University of Sherbrooke programs through the normal admission channels.

c) Or, graduate students pursuing a Ph.D may be accepted into programs of co-advising offered by the University of Sherbrooke; in which case, students would need to sign a convention for co-advising.For more details consult www.usherbrooke.ca/accueil/fr/international/cotutelles-de-these/.

Clinical Predoctoral/Postdoctoral Exchange

Both institutions would offer a limited number of predoctoral training positions in collaboration with the Dean of the College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Dr Moni Nader Assistant Professor of Physiology, AU. and the Vice-Director of International Relations and the Dean of Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke.

For further information on how to apply, please contact Prof. Moni Nader Assistant Professor in Physiology MNader@alfaisal.edu or telephone +966 11215 7674

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COLLEGE OF MEDICINE GRADUATE ACHIEVEMENT IN JEDDAH

It gives us great pleasure to announce the news of a recent great achievement by one of our College of Medicine graduates.

Dr. Ahmed Abu-Zaid won the third place prize of 5,000 SAR for the Best Research Competition (Oral Competition) organized by the Scientific Chair of Prof. Abdullah Hussain Basalamah for Gynecological Cancer. The competition was held at King AbdulAziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday the 14th of May 2015.

Dr. Abu-Zaid’s research project was entitled, “Incidence of Malignant Ovarian Germ Cell Tumours (MOGCTs) in Saudi Arabia” and published in the Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Therapy Journal (2013).

Dr. Abu-Zaid would like to give special thanks to Dr. Ismail Al-Badawi, Consultant Gynecology Oncology and Minimally Invasive Surgery and Chairman of the

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Riyadh, for his never-ending support and for facilitating this wonderful opportunity.

Special thanks from Dr Abu-Zaid goes to Prof Khalid Sait, Consultant and Director, Gynecology Oncology Unit at King AbdulAziz University Hospital Jeddah together with Chairman of Scientific Chair of Prof Abdullah Hussain Basalamah for Gynecological Cancer for his kind acceptance of Dr. Abu-Zaid’s participation.

On behalf of the College of Medicine and Dr Khaled AlKattan, Dean of the College of Medicine, we would like to extend our sincere congratulations to Dr Abu-Zaid on his recent achievement in Jeddah and for representing the College of Medicine and Alfaisal University in this most positive way.

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College of Medicine We are delighted to announce that the following students were successfully matched with US Residency Placements.

All placements were at prestigious universities or medical centres in the United States. These students were members of the first graduating class from the College of Medicine.

8/9 Eight out of nine candidates who entered the matching process were accepted into residency programmes.

100%

89%

25%

This represents an outstanding 89% success rate.

With this great achievement, 25% of the first class of Alfaisal Medical Graduates have been placed in US residency programs immediately after completing their internship.

All candidates were accepted into their preferred program.

On behalf of the College of Medicine we would like to offer our sincere congratulations to you all and wish you well in your residency experience.

Congratulations go to:

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Name

Specialty

Center

Dr. Abou Saleh Mohannad Mohammad Khaldoun

Neurology

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

Dr. Shareef Mohammad Abrar

Family Medicine

St Vincent Mercy Med Center-OH (affiliated with University of Toledo Medical Center, Toledo, Ohio)

Dr. Alturkmani Hani Jamal

Internal Medicine

University of Missouri, Kansas City

Dr. Anindo Mohammad Iffat Kabir

Internal Medicine

Ochsner Medical Center - Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans, Louisiana

Dr. Abbasi Hamza Fawwaz Hussein

Pediatrics

Monmouth Medical Center, Monmouth University's, New Jersey

Dr. Adi Ahmad

Psychiatry

Duke University, North Carolina

Dr. Mathbout Mohammad Fahmi

Internal Medicine

University of Kentucky, Kentucky

Dr. Ahmad Shamia

Preliminary General Surgery

Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York *** Unless otherwise stated, candidates were placed incategorical programs **** All candidates placed in one of their preferred programs.

an e that Huss d to announc u tudent in o s a pr , e r ar aa e h W u Al-S bo rs A at zz I tly had pape Mohammed e, has recen in ic ed M f o the College published. , “Molecular n is entitled io at ic bl pu -Orame The first res of Holt tu ea ed F al c ni li e and extend basis of C om missens fr g in lt u as s l re el Syndrome X5 gene as w tions of TB d the second protein muta ications.” an pl du ic en ag without TBX5 intr , “Nonunion ed tl ti k en is n alangeal Nec publicatio of Finger Ph is es.” s o as c er r N u r of fo rt Avascula o ep R . en Childr College of Fractures in ussan! The H ns o ti la Congratu e you proud to hav .

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rld MIT ion, The Wo DAVOS SUM g break vacat in pr l s ba e lo th During gh their “G ackorum, throu organized a “H Economic F , h ad iy R in dents iative university stu Shapers” init y, eb er h w est; y complete a-Thon” cont successfull to g ys da e re e theme bein have th eir idea – th th f o pe ty a proto h.” place “Smart Riyad at the first th e nc u no d to an a 3rd Year We are prou Hani AlDraye e. ad am H as e of Medicin winner w m the Colleg o nt fr de nt tu s de e tu th ess of Medical S c c u s e h “t f amad, preciation o To quote H pport and ap u s e th m o comes fr lfaisal. faculty of A the dean and pact to make an im ed m ai s ay alw ed Davos!”

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Student Publication Success We are proud to announce another achievement by one of our College of Medicine students.

Mr. Khalid Zaza recently shared in publishing in the Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, which is part of Wiley online library, “Genotypting of CYP2C19 polymorphisms and its clinical validation in the ethnic Arab population.”

Mr Zaza, who will graduate in June,

worked at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre as part of an approved IRB research project entitled:“Distribution of Different CYP2C19 Polymorphism in King Faisal Special Hospital & Research Centre Cardiac Patient and Clinical Response to Clopidgrel (Plavix).” This was under the supervision of Dr Dana Bakheet, Vice Dean for Women, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University.

On behalf of the dean, Dr Khaled AlKattan and faculty of the College of Medicine we would like to extend to Mr Zaza our congratulations on this fine achievement.

STUDENT ACCEPTED AT It is with great pleasure that we share the news of another great achievement by one of our students.

Abedalrazaq Alkukhun has recently been accepted into The School of Public Health, Yale University, as a masters student in the Master of Public Health – Health Policy and Administration Program.

Abedalrazaq would like to thank Dr. Khaled AlKattan, Dean, College of Medicine for his support during the application process.

In the spring, Abedalrazaq hopes to visit Alfaisal University where he can share his experiences as a Yale student with us.

We are very much looking forward to this.

On behalf of the dean, Dr Khaled AlKattan and the College

of Medicine we would like to congratulate Abedalrazaq on his great achievement. We wish him every success with his studies in the Master of Public Health Program.

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Interview: Gazal Brothers

Naif, Abdalla, and Baraa are three brothers that have each left a positive mark on Alfaisal University in their own unique way. Having played a role in establishing some of the bestknown projects, and organizing some of the biggest Alfaisal events, the “Gazal Brothers” have truly become an inspiration to the students of Alfaisal University. This interview focuses on Abdalla specifically, in addition, to Baraa’s recent contributions to Alfaisal University.

Abdalla considers himself as “nothing more than a potential doctor, dreamer, and a believer in this nation!” As a young child, Abdalla dreamed of becoming a doctor and of being able to one day help his community. As he grew up, he realized that Medicine wasn’t the only way to help, and he decided that he could be of even more use to his community before becoming a doctor.

“It was this drive to be of help to my community that pushed me to pursue various initiatives. It’s not about leaving a mark. It’s about paying it forward.

Everyone should seek to give back to the institution that gives us so much. Alfaisal has always been giving us opportunities, and we should pay it back in kind! You can’t just live here for 5 years and do nothing! Everyone should do their part.”

All three brothers believe that joining Alfaisal University was part of their destiny. They remarked that Alfaisal has proved to be the best university for each of them; not just because of the high quality education but because of the amazing students and awesome atmosphere.

Baraa, who is the current President of the Engineering Student Association, said that ever since he joined Alfaisal it was his goal to serve in a position of leadership within his chosen college.

“I was always filled with ideas and plans that I believed could improve the University and student life. I just

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waited patiently for the chance to be able to implement these ideas. I was determined to assemble a team of the best and brightest as I knew that such a group of amazing individuals would welcome the challenge of achieving things that had never been achieved before in the University. In doing so, we would bring honor to the name of Alfaisal University.

We are a team with one goal and one message: Leave a legacy for this University and all the students that will follow us.”

Abdalla believes that everyone in the University can be a contributor, and that no one can say they were not given an opportunity to shine. He believes in being a self-starter and not waiting for anyone to tell you what to do. “We all have our individual dreams and goals, and we are all capable of achieving them if we work hard enough.”

Known for his immense contributions to the Medical Student Association, with the Undergraduate Research Committee (URC) in particular, Abdalla recalls that this is the committee that holds a special place in his heart. He spent 4 years on the committee and transformed it into the success that it is today. “What really makes me appreciate the URC, and respect everyone who works on the committee, is that you are volunteering your time and effort to secure and arrange research positions for more than 300 students locally and 100 students internationally every year! If that wasn’t enough pressure already, we still pushed ourselves to outdo our predecessors, or previous teams, in trying to secure even better research programs for student placement.

I’d like to think that we succeeded in every way possible, especially in upping our game each year. Teamwork was the most important lesson that I got out of this experience.” For the current and upcoming URC teams, Abdalla advises to keep going, to continue upholding the high standards set, and to let no one and nothing ever bring you down.

Apart from his contributions to the Medical Student Association, Abdalla is known for his organization and involvement in TEDx - Riyadh, held on campus at Alfaisal University. The following is a passage on what Abdalla had to say regarding the event: “I really can’t describe how happy I am that I was able to do this before I graduate. Frankly speaking, TEDx was not an easy event to organize. To pull off an event that carries the name of the Late King Faisal bin Abdulaziz, took everything that we have ability-wise and then some.

Our team was formed almost one year in advance of the event and we spent the entire year preparing for it. With

more than 1600 attendees, everyone was talking about TEDxAlfaisal! Wherever we went, we heard nothing but positive feedback that this event was unique and that it increased the expectations of everyone for what Alfaisal and its students have to offer - even more. We built our team, we had a plan, we followed that plan and we faced all obstacles head-on and tackled them appropriately. Good planning and teamwork were truly the reasons for the success of this event.

The feedback that we got from our attendees was also amazing as everyone was very happy and inspired. Of course, that was the whole point of the event.

It was indeed one of my most beautiful moments here at Alfaisal. I will be forever grateful for my great team and for all of those who believed in us!”

Baraa, too, set his sights on being more than just an active member of the Engineering Student Association.

In September 2016 he planned and organized, with the help of the University, the first “Scientists in Islam” event.

The following is what Baraa had to say regarding the event: “In Scientists in Islam, we had a vision of hosting an event that would be the biggest the University had ever held; one that would shine light on the University’s name throughout the media. We wanted to raise awareness of the forgotten scientists in Islam, and we wanted to do so by showcasing their hard work and dedication. The target audience for this event was the younger generation.

We were eager to enlighten them on the Islamic scientist who invented or contributed to their favorite invention, tool, or other such scientific achievement.

From social media posts alone, we amassed an audience of 15 million viewers, and our Twitter account reached over 320,000 readers. We received an impressive amount of positive feedback, and we could not have been more grateful. A lot of companies reached out to us as well, requesting information and guidance on how to duplicate or adapt our exhibition themselves. All in all, it was an incredible experience and I am honored to have worked with such an amazing team on such an amazing event.”

“All in all, we are Alfaisal students. And Alfaisal students have always been known for achieving great things and for accomplishing the seemingly impossible.

We are proud to represent our University and to show the world just how brilliant and hardworking our students are in all that they accomplish. This event is but one example of what Alfaisal students have achieved and we hope that future events will be just as great and just as successful.”

Interview: CYNTHIA MOSHER

Cynthia Mosher was in college in the US when she first met her husband and they married the following year. While she had hoped to continue her studies in Riyadh, she soon found out that only Saudis were permitted to enroll in Saudi universities. However, she did give up and was eventually admitted to the College of Education preparatory program for foreign scholarship students. Unfortunately, despite graduating at the top of her class, the university had to reject her application to the medical school due to her not being a Saudi. Though Cynthia was discouraged, she was not defeated.

Cynthia had a strong interest in alternative medicine. She decided to continue her education via a U.S. university that permitted hybrid learning through a mix of online and onsite course work; in doing so she completed a BS in Natural Health Sciences with Honors. Unfortunately, Saudi Arabia had no regulations permitting the practice of alternative medicine. For a time, she decided to just focus on caring for her children and this led her to her work for Mothering Magazine. She enjoyed her work at Mothering Magazine as this gave her an outlet for her creative energy. However, once her son graduated from high school and was admitted to the College of Medicine at Alfaisal University her thoughts turned once again to her dream of completing her studies in medicine.

She went to visit the Dean of the College of Medicine, Dr. Khaled Al- Kattan, to ask if her application might be considered for admission. Dr. Khalid was very gracious and supportive. He told her

the story of how his own mother first raised her family and then pursued her education afterwards and is now working as a professor of Arabic Language. He welcomed Cynthia’s application and she entered the first class of female students in the College of Medicine in the fall of 2011. Indeed, she says that her most memorable moment regarding Alfaisal University was when she read that very special letter of acceptance: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the College of Medicine."

For Cynthia, it has been an incredible journey! She spoke of how she often struggled to keep up with her studies as she continued her work outside of the University. One time, she found herself in tears after a particularly difficult exam in Microbiology and recalled how she found solace in Dr. Abiola Senok. Dr. Abiola, who she considers a mentor and great source of strength, helped her to refocus and to push forward with her studies in medicine. Most of all, however, she gives her deepest gratitude to her husband and children who supported her every step of the way.

When asked about how she would like to make a difference in this world, Cynthia says that she wants to inspire people. I want someone to look at me and say,

“Because of you I didn’t give up.”

On advice that she has for students and parents, she quoted the Prophet, peace be upon him, who said “Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt.” Clearly, a quote or compass for making good choices.

“Follow your gut feeling. I’ve found that if I go by that feeling I usually steer clear of bad choices.” As for parents, she thinks the best thing that you can do is to raise your children well with good manners, sound morals and guiding principles all set by your own good example. For these, along with a good education will help your children to live a full and productive life. Furthermore, Cynthia believes in letting children them make their own choices concerning their future career.

“I feel very strongly about respecting their choice of career. I have talked to so many students who are in medical school because that’s what their parents want them to do. They don’t want to be doctors but they want their parents to be happy.

Parents should permit their children to choose a career that they love and they will never work a day in their life. If you push them into something you want, it might make you proud but they will just be doing something they must do and not something they love doing. Eventually, it will affect negatively on their work, their character, and their happiness.”

For Cynthia, her biggest role models were her parents. “When my mother does something she does it very well.

She is focused and determined and I like to think I took a bit of that from her. My father was a very quiet, calm, patient person who rarely got angry. I don’t recall him ever having a bad thing to say about anyone.”

On challenges that women face today, she said that although a woman may be excellent in her work, she carries the additional challenges of having to meet the expectation that she must excel in home and family obligations first and foremost; only then may she give time and attention to her career. If her family commitments take her away from work, she is often judged by her colleagues as not being able to carry her full share of the workload. Cynthia believes that women are caught up in a sort of “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” situation when trying to balance their careers with the need of their family.

She believes that a woman in a position of leadership must be confident in herself and exude that confidence to those around her. “Confidence gives everyone a feeling of trust and everyone wants to follow a leader they feel they can trust.”

1 2 3

.Your favorite quote?

“She believed she could so she did” .Your favorite book?

“Little Women”

.Your greatest strength and weakness?

“Perseverance and perfectionism.”

Cynthia came into medicine wanting to set a foundation for building a career and practice in integrative medicine. During her clinical years, she fell in love with Surgery, ER and Obstetrics. For now, she is keeping her options open during her year of internship, so that she can make the best decision for her future. When pressed, though, she does admit that she loves surgery and hopes to pursue a future in it.

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College of Business

Message from THE DEAN and efficient faculty recruitment process • Policy for domestic and international field trips for students • Faculty governance and confidential voting on contested issues • Grade appeals system

T

he College of Business (COB) at Alfaisal University (AU) has evolved in a short period to become one of the best colleges of business in the region. The improvements cover all aspects of COB operation, such as: curriculum; teaching; quality of faculty and research; student recruitment, instructions and advising; field study programs; internships; executive speaker lecture series; executive programs and community outreach. Its programs and operations continue to improve and attract high quality students and faculty. Some issues we are dealing with for the first time at AU (hence dealing with them amounts to institutionalizing their solutions). As a result, some of the procedures and innovations developed in the COB have been adapted by other colleges within Alfaisal and include: • Teaching guidelines for faculty and students • Upgrading faculty promotion criteria to include publishing in the top-tier (A ranked) journals • Extending the faculty promotion criteria to newly hired faculty • Development and implementation of a transparent

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• Exposition of study plans in a user friendly manner to facilitate the advising process • Community service and outreach projects, e.g., with SAGIA and the Smart City Project.

COB offers two degree programs and one non-degree program. It offers an Undergraduate Business Administration (BSAD) program leading to a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration in four concentrations: Accounting, Finance, Marketing and Project Management, and soon to come, in Human Resource Management. We also have our Master of Business Administration (MBA) along with the Executive Education program.

program served the needs of the Saudi market very well; consequently, we developed more specialized MBA programs to address such needs. These include: MBA-Finance; MBA-Health Care Management; and a Master of Accountancy. As with the BSAD program, benchmarking the MBA program against the best in the region and some of the best in USA has led to many improvements concerning curriculum design.

COB is an integral part of the community and it continues to be true to its promise by serving the community through its Executive Education programs and community outreach. Executive Education is not limited to professional certification programs: CPA, CFA, CMA, and PMP; however, it has been extended to offer true executive training that is needed in the business community of Saudi Arabia and is often tailored to specific organizational needs.

In support of such initiatives, the COB has been accredited as a ‘Registered Education Provider’ (REP) by the world’s largest project management association, and Project Management Institute (PMI). Among other benefits, such accreditation supports the quality of our programs, provides global recognition, and maintains alignment with known best practices to meet emerging market needs.

h profile In the BSAD program, student aged in hig g n e n e e b s t for COB ha enrollment continues to re importan a t a th s ct of the proje increase in spite of an upgrade ch as those su m o d g in , Global the K in the admission criteria, which ance Index rn e v o G te Smart Corpora currently is comparable to that Forum, and ss e n e v ti e Comp of engineering programs. The City. students follow a progressive curriculum that is on par with These activities are self-supporting. regional business programs and In fact, they provide the college those at top-tier universities in with a surplus that can be used to the USA. Our new undergraduate support faculty research with the program is a big improvement over purchase of databases, computers, the older program that was in place conferences, invited speakers, and until fall of 2014. so on; as well as some events for We did not feel that the old MBA business students. Furthermore,

COB has a very active Executive Speakers Series that hosts the best and brightest CEOs in the Kingdom whereby students can benefit from the speakers’ experiences and are able to network with them.

COB continues to search for and recruit high quality business faculty as faculty are the backbone of any department or program.

Consequently, recruiting and retaining high quality faculty is of the utmost priority for COB. With the unwavering support of the administration of Alfaisal

University, an aggressive recruitment program was initiated. As a result, in the last two academic years twelve new faculty members were recruited

by COB. Not only the newly hired faculty are outstanding, they are also more diverse. Increasing the quality and number of faculty has started to reflect on the quality of research activities, e.g., research grants and conference participation. This will, hopefully, result in a greater number of quality publications. These activities feed into each other and improve the quality of teaching as well.

now at an all-time high. COB faculty have approved a new promotion criteria which is a considerable improvement over what is currently used at AU or the MOE. The new promotion criteria is in line with that of American researchoriented universities. The new COB promotion criteria is stated in the new edition of the Faculty Handbook.

Dr. Bajis M. Dodin Interim Dean College of Business

Consequently, student satisfaction is

Alfaisal University Awarded Registered Education Provider (REP) Status by

The College of Business (COB) is pleased to announce that the Project Management Institute (PMI), the world's largest project management association (pmi.org for more information), has named Alfaisal University as a Registered Education Provider (REP) effective from the 1st of October

2015.

This accreditation was achieved after fulfilling PMI's rigorous quality criteria on the contents of the project management courses, qualifications of the teaching faculty, and the adoption of modern instructional environments. Alfaisal University is now the first to obtain such accreditation in the Kingdom; thereby, further enhancing its role in providing marketoriented quality education and training.

The REP status qualifies Alfaisal University to provide specialized training for holders of the PMI certifications (such as PMP and PGMP) to obtain required Professional Development Units (PDU's) for maintaining their credentials. It further demonstrates that the content of the project management courses offered are aligned with best-practices, the learning outcomes are both appropriately stated and achieved, feedback from the students is used for course improvement, and that professional ethical standards are maintained. For these reasons, Alfaisal University is now allowed to display the PMI logo on its website and credentials. From a management perspective, the REP status gives the COB management incentive to maintain high academic standards and compete globally with international education providers and centers. For more information, visit the pmi.org site or contact Dr. Mohammed Kafaji at mkafaji@alfaisal.edu.

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College of Business

During the summer, a group of MBA students completed an “Effective Team Leadership” program at Nyenrode Business University in the Netherlands. International business coaches and faculty from Nyenrode worked with our students on key team leadership requirements and skills, such as: The 14th Century Castle at Nyenrode Business University

• Self-management • The emotional intelligence requirements of team leadership • Coaching skills • Contextual analysis • Work team cooperation • Practical work team leadership practicum

Nyenrode Business University is the only private university in the Netherlands, situated on a large historical estate outside the town of Breukelen, near Utrecht. Staying in this setting not only contributed to intense and undistracted learning opportunities, but gave our students insight into student life in Europe. For example, some of our group members compared barbequing skills with some of the local students and some of the men learned how to operate student residence laundromats!

The MBA students studied the operations at the world’s largest Flower and Plant Market at Aalsmeer.

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During spring break in March, a group of MBA students collaborated with academics from various universities in Istanbul to explore the impact of changes at the national level on global economic development. This was part of an elective course in Comparative Management that was initiated in Riyadh by studying the historical interaction between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Turkey provided the ideal framework with which to study the impact of national and international change on economic development having experienced two major upheavals in its history both of which are still evident today. Today, it is now home to one of the world’s Top 20 economies in the world.

Working with leading economists and historians, the MBA students received a first-hand view of the influence of Turkish history on current social, cultural, and economic activity. They were all impressed with the way in which Turkey capitalized on historical and cultural expression in their modern policy and the conscientious manner in which their heritage was preserved. The students tried to practice ancient Islamic art forms that are still actively used in Turkey. They saw how keen mosques and charitable organisations are in playing a role in society's advancement.

They have also discussed current and future economic policy with the president's chief economic advisor. In addition, they explored entrepreneurial challenges with Turkish entrepreneurs and members of their national research council. The council plays an active role in linking academic research with business practices.

The experience's major findings were that the keys to global success are more than just fiscal policy. Success also depends upon the need to base decisions upon thorough evidence, to practice what you preach, and to nurture your past and your culture to continuously maintain an identity that fosters global competitiveness. While walking around the campus of the Bosphorus University, overlooking the magnificent views of the famous strait with the same name, the group were also convinced that future growth is firmly in the hands of the future generation of Saudi MBA students.

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College of Business Model United Nations (MUN) has a global presence, with conferences held in universities and schools all over the world. At its core, it is an educational simulation of the entire United Nations process of addressing world problems and drafting resolutions in an attempt to resolve them. Not only does it provide students with a heightened world view, it allows them to improve in the areas of research, teamwork, critical thinking, public speaking, and debate.

The Alfaisal Model United Nations Society was informally formed when Alfaisal University received an invitation from Bahrain Universities Model United Nations (BUMUN) which was held in November of 2014. The university organized and sent a delegation of students to attend the conference, some of whom went on to found the Alfaisal MUN Society in June of 2015. In September of 2015, the club increased in size with its current membership of over 100 engaged students.

Overwhelming student interest prompted the club to establish two types of members, the secretariat and the associate. Secretariat membership is comprised of the organizing members.

They are considered the core of the Society and are charged with organizing activities, trips, seminars, and general management of related events. Associates are registered members of the Model United Nations and are invited to take part in sponsored events. Membership for Associates is open year-round.

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Alfaisal Model United Nations Society Alfaisal Model United Nations Society aspires to expand its presence in the university by way of seminars and interactive social media, prior to sending delegates to conferences in order to ensure sufficient preparation. Seminars in fall of 2015 saw registration completely fill within two hours. The MUN Society at Alfaisal also plans to become involved in activities related to building international communities.

The MUN Society at Alfaisal can be summed up as a studentoriented club where all activities are geared towards student empowerment and achievement. Delegates selected to participate in MUN debates are not sent for the sole purpose of only winning awards for the club’s prestige, they are sent in order to maximize their potential for personal growth ranging from academic to professional development.

The Alfaisal Model United Nations Society is led by club president Salman Ahmed Al-Sudairy and supervised by Dr. Robert Zacca in the College of Business. Anyone desiring more information regarding the club, or interested in joining, is encouraged to contact Salman at saalsudairy@alfaisal.edu

Alfaisal University Collaborates with the World Economic Forum to Publish the 2015-16 Global Competitiveness Report for Saudi Arabia

In

its efforts to develop and improve an effective foundation for business investments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) and Alfaisal University set up a partnership with the World Economic Forum (WEF). The partnership will assess the competitive landscape of the economy and provide insight into what drives enhanced productivity and prosperity. In alignment with the formal WEF's methodology, Dr. Mohammed Kafaji and Dr. Bajis Dodin proposed a systematic approach to gather and analyze required survey data using the WEF surveying tools. Utilizing this approach, data is gathered on various business management environments

related to business investment and operations. From competitive business perspectives, the key areas covered include: the Kingdom’s infrastructure, adopted technologies, foreign investment, financial support, practices in managing competition, innovation, education, human resources, health, security, and risks.

Dr.

Kafaji used WEF methodology to promote the project in conducting the executive opinion survey of appropriately selected business executives in different sectors of the Saudi market based on their contribution to the national GDP (Gross Domestic Product).

This data was then analyzed to evaluate the degree in which the business environment is suitable for

investment. The project required extensive collaboration with local companies from various industries and sectors involving: performing multiple site visits across the Kingdom, ensuring alignment with WEF methodology, managing related logistics, and communicating with WEF via their online system.

After three months of rigorous data collection, the project was successfully completed in May 2015.

The findings of this project were evaluated by WEF, benchmarked worldwide, and published in the 2015-16 “Global Competitiveness Report.� The report is freely available through: http://reports.weforum.org/globalcompetitiveness-report-2015-2016/

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College of Business

S

audi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) in its drive to encourage and sustain investment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia initiated a seminal project that aims at measuring the conduct and performance of the companies that do business in the country. In April 2015 SAGIA commissioned the College of Business at Alfaisal University to lead this project. This project became known as Corporate Governance Index.

It relates the conduct and performance of the companies traded on the Saudi Financial Market to each other and to some universal established criteria, then ranks them accordingly.

CoB organized a team lead by one of its faculty and assisted by external consultants and research analysts.

The team first developed the CGI criteria. These criteria were based on two equally weighted components: mandatory and voluntary disclosure.

Mandatory disclosure includes information that companies are required to report on by Saudi Arabia Capital Market Authority.

On the other hand, voluntary disclosure refers to information that companies voluntarily report in their efforts to promote transparency, social responsibility and accountability. The latter is based on the international best practices in corporate governance. Then the team applied the criteria to measure the compliance and performance of the publicly traded companies on the

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Saudi Market and established the first CGI. The first ever CGI report was released during the convention of Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils (GFCC) that was held at King Abdullah Economic City from Nov

1 - 3, 2015. The overall findings of the CGI 2015 Report indicate that the state of the corporate governance of Tadawul-listed Saudi companies, particularly for the mandatory disclosure component of the CGI is very good, but there is room for future growth and substantial improvement, particularly for the voluntary disclosure components of the CGI. The high CGI score is due in a large extent to the high compliance rate of the listed companies in the mandatory component of the CGI scores that is monitored by the Capital Market Authority (CMA).

After careful consideration, the CGI

team recommended to disclose the average CGI statistics for all companies and industries along with the average breakdowns for voluntary disclosure categories (Board Characteristics, Board Functions, Top Management and Director Compensation Package, Audit Committee, and Report Presentation). However, the CGI team recommended not to release the company-level CGI score and company ranking in the CGI 2015 Report for two main reasons: First, the Corporate Governance Criteria were published in April of 2015 and it might not be fair to apply them to companies’ disclosure in 2014 as

by April, 2015 almost all Board of Directors’ Reports and other financial reports had been published. Second, most of the items included in the voluntary disclosure component of the CGI are new to the Saudi market. Thus, most companies will score better once they are given sufficient time to incorporate the CGI requirements into their corporate governance framework.

The project has and will enrich the learning experience of CoB students.

In 2015/16 CoB students worked with the team on the CGI project and more students are likely to join the project every year. The CGI project is expected to emerge as a peak training ground for CoB and provides them with an unparalleled opportunity for hands-on experience that will equip them with practical and professional skills that are highly sought after in the marketplace.

In April 2016 the College of Business at Alfaisal University received a request from SAGIA to compete on a project aimed at institutionalizing the CGI work, that also leads to the establishment of a Corporate Governance Research Center, the first of its type in the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia. The bid submitted by CoB on April 28, 2016 was accepted by SAGIA and a grant in the amount of three million Saudi riyal was granted to CoB.

A

team consisting of three CoB faculty, to be supported by external consultants and research analysts, was organized in May 2016.

The team established a working plan aimed at institutionalizing the CGI process. The first step in this process is to benchmark CGI in Saudi Arabia against other countries and to explore the characteristics of the Saudi market. The benchmarking led to the determination of the CG criteria and how to operationalize/ measure it. Simultaneously, it started gathering information on the companies that trade in the Saudi market. It is expected that by the

end of September 2016 the CGI team will be fully formed, CG criteria and how to implement it to the selected companies trading in the Saudi market will be finalized; and a CG office at CoB and website would have been established.

The team will develop CG index ranking companies in Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries (starting from the second year of the project) in terms of their compliance with good corporate governance principles and best practices. Also the team will continue its drive for the establishment of the desired Corporate Governance Research Center (CGRC). To this end, CoB is actively recruiting for a highly experienced scholar in the area of CG. With its newly-expected to be inaugurated CGRC, College of Business at Alfaisal University hopes

to emerge as the center of gravity for corporate governance not only in Saudi Arabia, but also in the region.

In addition to conducting corporate governance research, the Center is to serve as a means to raise the profile of corporate governance among business leaders and regulators.

Alfaisal University and SAGIA expect the Center to serve as a think tank function by periodically issuing public policy recommendations to address corporate governance challenges.

The aim of these recommendations is to help regulators and policy makers strengthen market corporate governance regulations and improve corporate governance practices in Saudi Arabia and hence promote more investments in KSA.

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College of Science

Message from THE DEAN world of rapid scientific advancement and technological innovation.

This unique opportunity permits students to challenge their preconceived notions concerning culture and traditional thinking; to push themselves to step outside their comfort zone to become genuine citizens of the world.

T

he College of Science and General Studies (COSGS) plays a pivotal role at Alfaisal University in furthering our University’s mission statement and trajectory for excellence.

The College of Science provides not only a world-class education for its own students of science, with its undergraduate and graduate majors, but a strong foundation in liberal arts for all of our University’s students through its Department of Humanities and Social Sciences (DHSS). At Alfaisal University, we are committed to becoming the benchmark for interdisciplinary scientific education, research, and innovation for both our nation and the world at large.

Our students prepare for exciting innovative careers through research-based studies in Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biology (Biotechnology & Genetics). As well as cuttingedge interdisciplinary studies in Biomedical Science, Nanotechnology, Computational Modelling and Simulation, and other emerging disciplines.

The faculty and staff in the COSGS are committed to preparing students to become leaders in a

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Our efforts, in the aforementioned, are greatly enhanced by the quality of teaching and research conducted in our college as well as the ongoing involvement of our inspirational alumni.

longviewing the re re a e w , llege Currently n for our co la p ic g te ra term st ist in our further ass ming a in order to ons of beco ti a ir sp a ’s y stitute.

Universit research in world-class One of our immediate goals is to “build interdisciplinary collaborations that inspire innovation.” Our feature story exemplifies that goal and demonstrates the life-saving impact that collaboration can achieve.

I am proud of our students, our faculty, our staff and all of their many wonderful contributions to our college, our university, and our community at large.

As Acting Dean of the COSGS, I am privileged to enjoy collegial and lively interactions with our students and faculty on a daily basis.

This is not only intellectually uplifting for me but also a great deal of fun.

Prof. Saad M. Alshehri Professor of Chemistry Acting Dean, COSGS

Biosensors, Materials for Energy Applications, Polymer Chemistry, Bioorganic Chemistry, Glycoscience, Forensic Chemistry, and Food Toxicology); MS in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology; MS in Biotechnology and MS in analytical Biochemistry (joint programs with the College of Medicine). Additionally, we are waiting for the approval of MoE (Ministry of Education) for a BSc in Forensic and analytical Sciences and a BSc in Computer Science. The college is also offering minor programs in molecular biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics.

C O S G S

The College of Science & General Studies (COSGS) envisions becoming one of the leading science colleges in the region, and beyond, for its world-class education, cutting-edge research, a high-quality University Preparatory Program (UPP), and effective outreach services. It strives to achieve four educational goals in all of the courses that it provides to its students: increasing our students’ capacities to think analytically, creatively, and responsibly across their respective academic fields; promoting an academic community that values thought, collaboration, and appreciation of the ability to foster knowledge; developing the skills necessary for lifelong learning; and

Within the college, the UPP’s approach is unique in that it promotes both academic and personal development. It is designed to prepare talented high school graduates to succeed at competitive universities in the Kingdom and abroad. Students absorb the knowledge and acquire the skills necessary to qualify them for selective university admission.

Students are exposed to fundamental content knowledge and laboratorybased experiential learning. Instruction is student-centered, whereby students are actively involved in their own learning. The AUPP curriculum is based on the integration of English language training, the sciences, and mathematics. Each student follows one of four pathways that prepare them for university studies in Medicine, Sciences, Engineering, and Business.

encouraging students to act reflectively in achieving their own potential.

Through concerted efforts and team work, the College was able to achieve a noticeable increase in student enrollment in both COSGS and the UPP. Students were attracted to the new undergraduate and graduate programs the College is currently offering, which include: BSc in Life Science with its two current tracks of Biotechnology & Genetics (with capstone research opportunities in Biotechnology, Molecular Genetics, Molecular Pathology, and Cancer Biology) and chemistry with capstone research opportunities in Nanobiotechnology, Nanomedicine,

All academic coursework emphasizes skill development in mastering techniques, written and spoken communication, leadership, time management, and critical thinking.

Students are placed in courses according to their performance in standardized tests and proficiency in the English language. English is the sole medium of instruction for all subjects and laboratory sessions. All UPP faculty members serving in our English programs are native from the US. Individualized support is offered to students who may find the coursework challenging.

As demonstrated by a seven key performance indicators, the COSGS offers a truly world-class education to our students. Mr. Khaled Al Saud, one

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of our BSc graduates, has succeeded this year in obtaining a US patent jointly with Dr. Edreese Alsharaeh (our chemistry faculty) for his discovery in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology; this kind of achievement by an undergraduate student is rare even in US universities.

• Some of the students who graduated last year with BSc degrees in the Life Science program were accepted into some of the most prestigious universities in the US and UK: Ms. Sarah Alazzam was accepted into three US Ivy League Universities - Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University - she is currently attending Columbia University in New York.

• Ms. Meshael Al Turki was accepted into the University of Manchester and University of Edinburgh.

• One of our students (Lamya Al Fuhaid) was selected, literally from among thousands of US students, and featured in the ACS (American Chemical Society) prestigious journal because of the high quality of research she presented at the August 2015 International Conference in Boston, USA.

• Boeing, the iconic global company, has granted the “Boeing Student Research Award” to our

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students Ms. Jory Omar Almushawwah and Ms. Rahaf Al Bathi.

• Some of the COSGS students have successfully competed in the Health Sciences in the Sixth Scientific Conference organized by the Ministry of Higher Education in Jeddah which was held in March and April 2015. Ms Walaa Kattan and Ms. Yasmin Mussa won the 10th place in the nationwide competition.

• Under the mentorship of our world-class faculty, our undergraduate students have published their research in top international journals.

• A gifted high school student, Mr Sulaiman Nasser Aljubaily, who has been conducting research since October 2015 under the supervision Dr. Ali Hendaoui (our physics faculty) has just won the 4th Place Grand Award at the prestigious 2016 Intel ISEF international competition that took place in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, between May 8-13, 2016. This international recognition is a testimony to the world-caliber type of research that is being conducted by Alfaisal University’s faculty in the College of Science.

The college of Science has managed to attract a number of highlyaccomplished scientists with the aim of creating the right research and educational ecosystem that will put the

college on the international map with our world-class research output. The research objectives of the college are to establish a scientific base where we can train local talent (Saudi students) to solve local and global problems (health, pharmaceutical products, food and water safety, homeland security, environment, renewable energies), produce low cost hand-held devices (nano-biosensors) to offer solutions to many challenging problems in medicine (diagnosis and treatment of diseases), drug manufacturing and delivery, and renewable energies.

Our chief aim is to prepare tomorrow’s leaders in the various fields of science so as to contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge and to the national efforts of establishing a knowledgebased economy in Saudi Arabia.

We aim at providing our students with a well-rounded education and a culture of innovation, incubation and entrepreneurship that will empower them to pursue careers in the corporate ladder. In this way, our graduates will not be mere passive job seekers but, hopefully, job creators.

Prof. Nouredine Zettili Acting Dean College of Science & General Studies

INNOVATION

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“It behooves no one to dismiss any novel idea with the statement: it can’t be done.”

—William E. Boeing

One hundred years ago, William E. Boeing set out to prove it was possible to build a better airplane than any before. That drive to build something better has always guided us. From airplanes built out of canvas and wood, to satellites and space planes, we enter the next century knowing that if they say it can’t be done, we’ll find a way.

boeing100.com

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in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Boeing Centennial In July 2016, The Boeing Company celebrated 100 years since its founding on July 15, 1916, marking a legacy of connecting and protecting people and nations, exploring Earth and space, and inspiring dreamers and doers alike through its products and services.

Since starting out as a builder of wood and fabric floatplanes in a Seattle boathouse, Boeing has become the world’s largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems.

Boeing today represents a number of major companies that have merged over the past century, including McDonnell Aircraft, Douglas Aircraft, North American Aviation/Rockwell, Piasecki/Vertol, Howard Hughes’s helicopter and space companies, Stearman and The Boeing Company.

The legacy of those great aerospace companies includes products such as the Boeing 7-series jets, including the first successful commercial jetliner, the 707; the Douglas DC jets, Douglas World Cruiser, C-47 Skytrain and A-4 Skyhawk; the North American B-25 Mitchell, P-51 Mustang, F-86 Sabre, F-100 Super Sabre, B-1B Lancer and X-15; the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, C-17 Globemaster III and F/A-18 Hornet; the CH-47 Chinook, AH-64 Apache and V-22 Osprey; the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-29 Superfortress, B-47 Stratojet, B-52 Stratofortress and KC-135 Stratotanker; the Saturn and Delta rockets and Gemini, Mercury, Apollo, Space Shuttle and the International Space Station.

As the United States’ biggest manufacturing exporter, Boeing supports airlines and U.S. and allied

government customers in more than 150 countries. Boeing products and tailored services include commercial and military aircraft, satellites, weapons, electronic and defense systems, launch systems, advanced information and communication systems, and performance-based logistics and training.

With corporate offices in Chicago, Boeing employs approximately 160,000 people across the United States and in more than 65 countries.

The company also leverages the talents of hundreds of thousands more skilled people working for Boeing suppliers worldwide. Total company revenues for 2015 were $96 billion.

Over

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Years of Partnership The Boeing Company enjoys a strong and long-standing relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The partnership began on 14 February 1945, when U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented a twin-engine DC-3 Dakota airplane to King Abdul Aziz Al Saud. This event marked both the beginning of the Boeing relationship with Saudi Arabia and the birth of commercial air travel in the Kingdom. Since then, Boeing has developed and expanded relationships with the Saudi civilian and defense sectors as well as with the private sectors.

The importance of Saudi Arabia to Boeing was reaffirmed in 1982, when Boeing established Boeing Middle East Limited in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, as a 100 percent Boeing-owned commercially registered company, with full commercial contracting and

employee sponsorship rights equal to any other Saudi-owned and registered company.

Ahmed Jazzar was appointed president of Boeing Saudi Arabia in July 2005. Jazzar is based in Riyadh, and is responsible for leading the communications and implementation of Boeing’s key messages and its vision and mission in the country.

He is responsible for the support of all Boeing business operations in Saudi Arabia, including leading government affairs, developing and implementing Boeing Saudi Arabia’s strategy, maturing Boeing industrial partnerships, implementing corporate citizenship projects, growing the Boeing presence, and reinforcing company relationships with customers and other stakeholders. In 2006, Boeing established another Saudi subsidiary, Boeing International Support Systems — Saudi Arabia Ltd., and received three different investment licenses in 2010 to expand current operations and execute new projects and business in the Kingdom.

In 2013, the company was renamed Boeing Saudi Arabia to reflect the broad scope of Boeing activities; today, Boeing Saudi Arabia supports the execution of all Boeing Defense, Space & Security and Boeing Commercial Airplanes programs in Saudi Arabia.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes After World War II, Saudi Arabia began using the DC-3 (manufactured

by Boeing heritage company Douglas Aircraft) to carry passengers and cargo between the cities of Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran. The service proved so successful that King Abdul Aziz ordered the purchase of two more DC-3s, launching the Kingdom’s aviation sector. The DC-3 airplane formed the foundation of Saudi Arabian Airlines.

In 1952, five 4-engine Douglas DC-4s were purchased, their greater range permitting operations to Middle Eastern destinations. Ten years later, Saudi Arabian Airlines introduced 720Bs into service, thus becoming the first airline in the Middle East to operate commercial jet airliners.

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In 1972, the airline received its first five 737-200s, which replaced the DC9s and DC-3s, making its fleet the most modern in the Middle East with two 707s, two 720s and five 737-200s.

In 1985–86, 10 new Boeing 747-300s stretched upper deck (SUD) models were delivered and introduced into service. Two years later, the first of the new aircraft — 747-468, 777-268 and MD-11 — were introduced into service.

In 2010–11, Saudia (formerly Saudi Arabian Airlines) ordered twenty 777s and eight 787-9 Dreamliner airplanes, and a year later, Saudia received two 777-300ERs of the ordered twenty.

In 2013 during a ceremony held in the Seattle, Wash., area, Saudia received its first 777-300ER aircraft with a layout of three classes including first and business class, with new specifications and designs.

In 2015 Saudi Airlines Cargo Company received a new 777 aircraft to further expand its global operations, which brought the company’s 777 fleet to a total of 13 aircraft.

In February 2016, the airline received its first three 787-9s along with a 777-300ER at a high-profile delivery ceremony at a Boeing site in the Seattle area.

Over the years Saudia has taken delivery of many Boeing airplanes including 707, 737, 747, 777, 787, MD-11F, DC-3, DC-4, DC-9 and MD-90 models.

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The unique Saudi Arabian VIP market launched several Boeing Business Jets (BBJ), including the BBJ 3, BBJ 787-8, BBJ 787-9 and BBJ 747-8 aircraft. The Saudi VIP market represents about 70 percent of BBJ sales to the Arabian Gulf market.

Different Boeing aircraft types in VIP configuration, including727, 737, 757, 767, 747, 777 and 787, have been ordered or currently operate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Also, Aramco Aviation — part of the Saudi Aramco — has owned and operated a fleet of 737-300 and, later, 737-700 aircraft for years.

Boeing Defense, Space & Security The Kingdom is an important customer for Boeing military products. Boeing’s relationship with the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) began in 1978 with the purchase of the Kingdom’s initial F-15C/D fleet, which became the backbone of the air defense of the Kingdom. Later, the RSAF complemented its force with an additional purchase of F-15C/Ds after Operation Desert Storm, followed

by F-15S Strike Eagles, to enhance its capabilities with one of the most advanced multi-role platforms in the world.

In December 2011, Saudi Arabia and the United States signed a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement that included F-15SA fighters, AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, AH-6i light attack/armed reconnaissance helicopters, Harpoon missiles and launchers, and Joint Direct Attack Munitions, along with the associated

initial support and training — the largest such agreement in U.S. history.

Other Boeing defense products that are currently operated in the Kingdom include E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, KE-3A cargo/tankers and Apache attack helicopters. In addition, Boeing provides a range of in-Kingdom services and support for these products.

Boeing Defense, Space & Security reflects Boeing’s commitment to the Kingdom and strengthens the company’s overall strategy and mission to grow the defense business in Saudi Arabia by employing Saudis while supporting the Kingdom’s defense and security needs.

Boeing views the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a partner with great potential and has made it a priority to invest in Saudi Arabia’s aviation industry, as characterized by evolving and strengthening relationships and partnerships.

Boeing’s Offset Companies In 1985, Boeing and local partners began a formal program to meet offset obligations by proposing a number of industrial projects to benefit the Kingdom. Boeing proposed ten concepts, four of which were eventually adopted for implementation: Alsalam Aircraft Company, Advanced Electronics Company, Aircraft Accessories & Components Company and International Systems Engineering Company.

• Alsalam Aircraft Company (AAC) — a fully integrated aircraft modification, maintenance and repair center for commercial and military aircraft.

• Advanced Electronics Company (AEC) — an advanced-technology company with capabilities in electronic design, development, manufacturing, repair and modification.

• Aircraft Accessories & Components Company (AACC) — a precision engineering facility equipped to service, overhaul and remanufacture aircraft accessories and components to international standards.

• International Systems Engineering (ISE) — a company providing a full range of computer-related software products, systems and services.

Currently, Boeing holds the largest stake at Alsalam. Boeing continues to contribute to the expansion of Alsalam’s technical base for both civil and military applications.

Boeing Capital Corporation Boeing Capital Corporation (BCC) is a wholly owned subsidiary that creates financing solutions for customers purchasing Boeing commercial and defense products. As the company’s investment bank, it works closely with third-party financing sources that provide nearly all of the financing support required by Boeing customers.

BCC continually strengthens its presence in the Middle East to meet the high demand for commercial aviation financing. It regularly organizes events in the region designed to engage the region’s finance community. Since 2006, it has hosted annual airline planning seminars for financiers in the Middle East and its investors’ conference has become an annual event.

Industrial and Academic Partnerships Boeing actively supports the Saudi industrial sectors. Boeing’s objectives are to support Saudi plans to develop technological capability, create jobs, and promote Saudization (a program to increase employment of Saudi youths), and create and capture

new markets. Additional support to communities is provided by investing in mathematics, science and literacy programs to prepare students to meet future challenges and enable them to realize their dreams.

In 2001, the King Faisal Foundation, together with a team of entrepreneurs, Saudi businesses and multi-national corporations, embarked on an ambitious program to establish the first private university in the Kingdom.

Alfaisal University now helps students acquire the necessary knowledge to lead in the creation, application and management of technology. Boeing joined this effort as a co-founding member of the university, which began giving lectures in 2008. The selfgoverning, internationally recognized institution teaches and conducts research in engineering, science, business and medicine. Alfaisal University will eventually enroll 4,000 male and female students in these disciplines.

In July 2008, Boeing hosted an aerospace supplier conference in the Kingdom, pairing U.S. aerospace suppliers with Saudi industrial firms to pursue opportunities to work together.

In the years since this initiative, aerospace production contracts have been awarded to multiple Saudi companies for component production.

In 2009, Boeing became a member of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) industrial collaboration program, which aims to facilitate local and international industrial collaboration.

As part of the program, Boeing partners with academics and students at the university on research and development initiatives.

One such initiative was the Boeing Fellowship Program for Saudi Arabia, in which Boeing hosted a number of Saudi students from Alfaisal University in October 2009. Students met with Boeing senior executives, engineers, technologists and professionals as part of the program, and also joined a network of students and industry professionals attending sessions at the Boeing Leadership Center in St. Louis, Mo.

In July 2012, the Saudi Emerging Leaders program was the first program of its kind to be held at the Boeing Leadership Center. Boeing sponsored 15 MBA students for a one-week leadership development program, providing them with insights on how to effectively operate in a shifting global economy.

Also in 2014, Boeing Research & Technology opened an office at KAUST to enable Boeing’s increased interaction with professors and resident companies interested in joint collaboration and research and development. KAUST is a strategic partner to Boeing, and the partnership is a key tool for research within the Kingdom and a step in partnering with other Saudi organizations to develop research and technology infrastructure and capabilities.

In September 2014, Boeing and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology launched the Decision Support Center in Riyadh. The center serves as a key tool for collaboration and experimentation between customers and partners in the Kingdom, giving users the ability to make more informed modernization and interoperability decisions for aerospace and defense products. The facility uses local Saudi capabilities and is staffed primarily by Saudi nationals.

In November 2014, top university students from schools across the Kingdom were invited to join Boeing for the Innovation Summit in Abu Dhabi and attend workshops led by select regional and international speakers.

The summit theme focused on today’s hyper-connected world in which the “next big thing” travels from country to country almost as quickly as each new idea can be formed. “What’s Next?

Navigating Global Challenges with the Innovation Generation” highlighted today’s game-changing ideas and individuals who are transcending borders to solve the world’s most pressing problems. The summit showcased forward-looking thinkers in areas that included next-generation aerospace engineering and design, sustainable and diverse energy economies, and big data and mobile

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technology, focusing on cross-sector innovation.

Also in November 2014, Boeing launched the KSA College Graduate Program, which creates opportunities for recent Saudi engineering graduates of U.S. schools who are interested in acquiring meaningful, on-the-job experience before returning to the Kingdom. The program provides 30 engineering graduates (10 per year for three years) an opportunity to acquire on-the-job training experience with Boeing Military Aircraft and Global Services and Support, initially focusing on engineering supporting the KSA F-15 program. Participants accepted to the 2014 program occupied positions in manufacturing, tooling, and industrial and electrical engineering and took part in a threetiered mentorship program with U.S. engineers, eventually transitioning to Boeing Saudi Arabia.

In 2015, Boeing signed an agreement with Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI) and Alsalam Aircraft Company to create the Saudi Rotorcraft Support Company (SRSC) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The joint venture will have locations in Riyadh and Jeddah providing comprehensive, in-country maintenance repair and overhaul support for Saudi Arabia’s diverse rotorcraft fleet. Through incountry co-operation, the companies are focused on expanding the Saudi workforce through creation of self-sustaining jobs, technical and aerospace skills development for local workers, and further involvement of the Saudi aerospace supply base.

The joint venture will support the Kingdom’s commercial and defense rotorcraft platforms, including the AH64 Apache, H-47 Chinook and AH-6i.

In January 2016, Boeing announced that a second group of students joined its Saudi graduate recruitment program, which supports Boeing’s continuing investment in Saudi youth.

The Boeing initiative provides recent Saudi college graduates with the opportunity to develop their skills in a variety of professional fields including manufacturing, engineering, and training and support services at the Boeing Military Aircraft unit.

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In February 2016, Boeing sponsored a group of Alfaisal University senior management staff who benefited from Boeing’s Leadership Development Program at the Boeing Leadership Center.

In August 2016, in a joint initiative by Boeing and Saudi Aramco, a focused workshop was organized with the goal to support the aviation sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The initiative was supported by the Economic Cities Authority and in partnership with the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation and Emaar Economic City.

The workshop was hosted at King Abdullah Economic City, and is part of the continued commitment of those participating in this initiative to support Saudi Arabia’s vision to localize industry and develop the skills of Saudi youth. The participants explored several topics that would help in discovering the training needs of the aviation sector and air transportation in the kingdom and exploring direct investment opportunities in human capital. Mitigating risks and challenges, and unifying efforts to support development in this very important sector.

Global Corporate Citizenship Global corporate citizenship remains one of Boeing’s core values. The communities where Boeing operates around the world are among its most important stakeholders. Corporate citizenship is as integral to the company as is its expertise in flight and technology.

Boeing aims to be a facilitator of community change, not simply a source of community funding, through focused corporate giving, employee volunteering and gift-matching programs. Boeing applies its unique core competencies to its community engagement to deliver sustainable, measurable social development and self-sufficiency.

Boeing is an active member of the community in Saudi Arabia focusing on education, health and human services and supporting a number of nonprofit organizations. For example, the company supports:

• King Salman Center for Disability Research (KSCDR) — Riyadh: Training workshops about learning disabilities for school teachers and parents.

• King Abdulaziz Charity for Women — AlJouf: Delivering special training courses for women from poor or limited-income families and from different parts of the region, and providing work-placement training.

• Hope for Exceptional Needs — Jeddah: Delivering early intervention programs for handicapped children and their parents.

• Al-Ihsan Medical Charity — Jazan: Delivering specially arranged regular medical visits by specialists to remote areas in the region without medical facilities.

• SANAD Children with Cancer Support Association — Riyadh: Providing full medical treatment to non-Saudi resident children with cancer diseases who are not allowed in g ‎ overnment hospitals and can’t afford a private hospital.

• Prince Fahad bin Salman Charity Association for Renal Patients Care (KELLANA) — Riyadh: Supply dialysis machines to KELLANA to be distributed to hospitals across the Kingdom for the care of patients with kidney failure.

• Al Nahda Philanthropic Society for Women — Riyadh: Support women’s workforce development programs to help women prepare to enter the job market.

• INJAZ Saudi Arabia — Jeddah: Strategic partnerships agreement to sponsor Saudi schools within the "SAFEER Initiative," aiming to qualify the students and develop their capacities to cope with the job market after graduation.

• Zahara Breast Cancer Association — Riyadh: Raise awareness and highlight the importance of early detection of breast cancer to women in KSA, provide “train the trainer” sessions for effective methods for early detection of breast cancer, and promote regular visits for breast cancer screening.

• Prince Majid Women Association — Jeddah: Deliver job market training for low-income people in the 18–35 age group.

The grant funds the infant portion of Saut's early intervention program spanning the age range from birth to 2 years old.

• SAUT Society — Riyadh: The Saut Society is dedicated to advocating for and serving people with Down Syndrome and their families in Saudi Arabia.

Boeing continues to support CSR activities in the Kingdom, and for its efforts the company was recognized by SANAD philanthropy (2015) and Prince Majid Society (2016).

Boeing has also been an active participant in the Janadriyah Festival for four consecutive years to celebrate Saudi Arabian culture and showcase Boeing products and services.

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Go further with an Alfaisal Graduate Degree

Master of Business Administration (MBA) • • •

General Finance Health Management

Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBS) • • • • •

Analytical Biochemistry Biotechnology Clinical Embryology Infection Control Molecular and Cell Biology

Master of Genetic Counselling (MGC) Master of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology (MNT) Master of Public Health (MPH) Master of Radiological and Imaging Sciences (MRS) Master of Engineering and Systems Management ( MEM ) Application: For detailed admission requirements and how to apply, please visit the following webpage at Alfaisal University website: http://admissions.alfaisal.edu/

For more information please contact: Graduate Studies Office Call center: 920000570 E-mail: Gradstudies@alfaisal.edu

Courtesy of Mohammad Sharique, Alfaisal Medical Student

College of Engineering

Message from THE DEAN Our positive working environment has also been the basis of distinguished collegiality and teamwork, and has allowed us to grow so fast in the short time since the college started.

T

he College of Engineering at Alfaisal University continues to mark its place at both national and international levels.

ith are designed w Our programs e ad m e et, and ar a global minds rt -a he ate-of-t to align with st tices as well as ac pr engineering ques. ucation techni innovative ed But good programs are nothing without good delivery. Which is why we’re proud of our members.

The College is home to a group of credible and hardworking, faculty members and instructors, all of whom excel both in the classroom, and in their internationally recognized research.

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We also take special pride in our students, and appreciate being their choice as they move closer to their professional careers.

Without doubt, our students are a continuous source of inspiration.

They take their work seriously, but also their play. And they’ve been everywhere — national and international industrial training, research internships, and competitions. They’re also know they’re part of a bigger society, and always strive to give back.

Indeed, Alfaisal’s Engineering is a great place to belong to, and we can only be excited about the years to come.

Dr. Nidal Nasser Acting Dean College of Engineering

Alfaisal places first female Premier Field Engineer (PFE) at Microsoft CoE’s Software Engineering Department proudly announces that their graduate, AlAnoud AlTurki, became

the first female Premier Field Engineer (PFE) at Microsoft Saudi Arabia.

Engineer AlAnoud came out successful from a highly selective and long hiring process including seven interviews and spanning a period of five months. Her success story is another witness on the high quality of education Alfaisal University is committed to provide.

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Engineer AlAnoud on her success as well as all the CoE faculty on their continuous effort to provide a world-class education. This success story is evidence on Alfaisal University commitment to the high quality of education producing highly qualified and competitive graduates. It should also be an incentive for our students to work hard, believe in themselves, and keep their eyes on the future rewards that a good education will bring. As for us, the CoE faculty, it is an opportunity to reiterate our promise to keep providing an engineering education based on cutting edge technologies that would distinguish our graduates and prepare them for successful industrial careers in top-notch universal companies as well as for graduate studies in world-renowned universities”, Nidal Nasser, Acting Dean College of Engineering.

Building Information Modeling Workshop at Alfaisal The College of Engineering organized a Building Information modeling (BIM) workshop at Alfaisal University in October 2015. We had over 100 attendees for the event.

Three seminars were conducted by international speakers from Saudi Oger Abu Dhabi, Winn W Gomez, BIM Manager, and Amar Ashfaq, BIM Consultant. The first seminar was an Introduction to BIM, the second was on Implementing BIM in a Project, and the final seminar was on the use of BIM in the Louvre Abu Dhabi which was presented by Winn W Gomez.

The CoE students and faculty had engaged in fruitful discussions on the use of this technology in enhancing the documentation of architectural systems.

Acting Dean of the College of Engineering, Dr Nidal Nasser, said, "Organizing this workshop helped us to achieve our goal of continually keeping our CoE students up-to-date with new technologies in the market that are successfully used by significant global companies like Oger international."

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College of Engineering

A collaborative Master's Program in Engineering & Systems Management between Alfaisal University and the Centre for Complex Engineering Systems (CCES) at KACST (King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology) and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) 44

On November 15th-16th, 2015, a team from the CCES and MIT visited Alfaisal University for the primary purpose of evaluating a proposed Master of Science program in Engineering & Systems Management.

The team delegation consisted of the following: - Prof. Olivier de Weck professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the MIT Institute for Data, Systems and Society (iDSS), as well as Co-Director of the KACSTMIT Center for Complex Engineering Systems (CCES)

- Dr. Abel Sanchez professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the MIT Institute for Data, Systems and Society (iDSS), as well as Executive Director of the MIT Geospatial Data Center - Dr. Anas Alfaris Director of the Joint Centers of Excellence Program (JCEP) at KACST, Co-Director of the MITKACST Center for Complex Engineering Systems (CCES), as well as Co-Director of the KACST-Boeing Decision Support Center (DSC)

- Dr. Adnan Alsaati Deputy Director of the Joint Centers of Excellence Program - Prof. John Williams professor in at KACST as well as Deputy Director the MIT Department of Civil and of the KACST-MIT Center for Complex Environmental Engineering and the MIT Engineering Systems.

Institute for Data, Systems and Society (iDSS), as well as Director of the MIT Geospatial Data Center

• The mission of the Master of Science in Engineering & Systems Management is to provide multi-disciplinary study and research opportunities involving faculty and students, leading to enhanced career opportunities for graduates as well as contributions to the industrial diversification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the development of a knowledge-based

society.

• The key attribute which the graduates of the program will exhibit is the ability to analyze, synthesize and evaluate information, solve real-world decision problems, and effectively perform engineering and management tasks for successful execution of engineering projects.

• During the course of the two-day visit,

the MIT team had the chance to meet with various constituencies, namely senior students, engineering faculty, the Director of Quality Assurance and Accreditation, the Associate VP of Research and Graduate Studies, members of Alfaisal University’s executive leadership, and members of various College of Engineering industry advisory boards.

• In addition to their participation in the program evaluation, Prof. Williams and Dr Sanchez gave a talk entitled: “21st Century Digital Learning Models”, which was very well attended by the participating members of the College of Engineering Advisory Boards along with Alfaisal University personnel.

• The launch of the Master of Science program in Engineering & Systems Management is planned for September 2016.

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College of Engineering Alfaisal’s Software Engineering student involved in a patented and award-winning project at MIT A software engineering student from Alfaisal has contributed an enabling software solution to an MIT patented and award-winning project.

The outstanding fourth year student, Sara Alarifi, spent twelve

weeks as an intern at MIT’s reputable Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (MIT – CSAIL). Sara was involved in the WiTrack project under the supervision of MIT’s Wireless Center Director and the 2013 MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, Professor Dina Katabi . WiTrack was one of the very few projects selected for the August 2015 White House Demo Day hosted by President Obama. The WiTrack technology allows for highly accurate, 3-D motion tracking by using non-invasive radio signals. The tracking of a person happens through walls and obstructions, pinpointing his/her 3-D location to within 10 to 20 centimeters. The technology may be used for various purposes such as observing premature infants in incubators or detecting the falls of an elderly living alone.

Sara developed a fully functional software solution enabling the

packetizing of the data produced in the WiTrack hardware and the secure transportation of the data packets to a database server to be processed by powerful computations. “I was really lucky to be assigned a task that compliments my background in Software Engineering and to work with such a brilliant team at this reputable establishment”, Alarifi commented.

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The Dean of the College of Engineering, Dr. Nidal Nasser, elated and proud of Sara’s accomplishment commented: "Sara’s effective participation in a project of such magnitude in such a reputable research institution and her ability to design and implement a fully functional solution within twelve weeks, shows the high quality of development our engineering students receive."

Infiniti gives Engineering student the Formula One career opportunity of a lifetime A university engineering student from Saudi Arabia has been awarded the career opportunity of a lifetime in Formula One, as Infiniti announces them as one of the winners of the Infiniti Performance Engineering Academy 2015.

Beating seven other finalists from around the country in an intense shootout event, 20 year-old Muhammad Usman Zafar from Alfaisal University will move to England, UK in September to begin a 12-month placement working with the four-time Formula One World Championshipwinning team Infiniti Red Bull Racing, as well as for Infiniti itself.

for the world’s best up-and-coming engineers. For 2015, five placements were made available with one winner chosen each from Russia, Western Europe, China, Saudi Arabia and the United States to work in roles spanning vehicle dynamics, vehicle design, aerodynamics and electronics.

to the race team. With F1 becoming more and more relevant to the automotive industry and an increased focus of the placements this year being on the road car development, we are training a new generation of engineers who will play a key role in the crossover between the two industries.”

Thousands of students registered their interest in this year’s program, and after a series of interviews, ten finalists in each region were selected to attend a regional final event where they were put through their paces in a structured assessment day by a panel of judges from Infiniti and Infiniti Red Bull Racing.

The Dean of College of Engineering, Dr. Nidal Nasser, added: Congratulation Mohamed Othman Thafer on behalf of the entire College of Engineering for this achievement, and for joining the Infiniti Red Bull Racing team, noting his hopes that Thafer's experience will be beneficial to both him and the Kingdom.

Commenting on his win, Zafar said: “I was delighted on hearing that I was selected and am hugely excited for this opportunity! I have always been passionate about Automotive and Motorsports engineering and I look forward to joining the academy and making the most of my time in the UK.” Tommaso Volpe, Global Director, Infiniti Formula One added: “The calibre of entrants this year was very high which made for a tough selection process, but if last year’s winners are anything to go by, it will not be long before all of them are making a significant contribution both to us and

The Dean also expressed pride in this and many other achievements made by the College, acknowledging the support of the University Administration as well as the uniqueness and innovation of the College's students. The College will continue its strive to excel in its teaching, research and operational.

The Dean further expressed appreciation to Infiniti and its Performance Engineering Academy for coming to Alfaisal University and engaging our students in their selection process -- a clear testament to the College's both national and international status and the distinction of its students.

Zafar will spend eight months working as an Infiniti Placement Design Engineer (Vehicle Design), at the team’s headquarters in Milton Keynes, UK, and four months working at Infiniti’s European Technical Center in Cranfield on road car development projects. With F1TM technology more relevant to the automotive industry than ever, they will play a key role in the ongoing transfer of technical knowledge and expertise between the race team and Infiniti.

The academy, now in its second year, is a one-of-a-kind global search

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College of Engineering

The First Engineering Expo and Competition On Wednesday, May 13, 2015, the College of Engineering at Alfaisal University held its first Engineering Design Expo and Competition.

The event showcased graduation projects from sixteen teams across the College's five engineering programs. For each project, the Expo represented the height of at least year-long effort invested in design and implementation of a solution addressing one or more real

world problems. The projects also emphasized relevance to the local society, as well an understanding of state-of-the-art engineering practices, technologies and trends.

Students presenting their work demonstrated both capability to pitch their ideas and products, as well as good knowledge of their respective field. With the project satisfying a core element of their graduation requirements, the students (both female and male) seemed ready for today's marketplace.

ABB Saudi Arabia sponsored the event, and have shown great interest in both the students' work and presentation. They also indicated enthusiasm in participating in future

events.

Capstone Project Competition: The competition featured work from undergraduate students where the students presented their work to an audience made up of fellow students, potential employers, and professors.

The competition had five tracks; each track represented an engineering discipline. Namely, Architectural Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Software Engineering. A total of 16 projects participated in the competition.

The projects were evaluated by jury groups each consisting of 5 faculty members. The jury selected the best project in each track, and one project was also selected as the best project of the academic year of 2014 – 2015.

Winners’ Teams Department Architectural Engineering

Project Title

Multipurpose Environmental Friendly 1. Sara Abdullah Faisal Alsaud Building in Riyadh 2. Doha Salah Alafaliq Motion Tracking in Humanoid Robots

Electrical Engineering

Efficient Vision and Movement in Humanoid Robots

1. Ouais Bassam Saad 2. Moslah Ayde Alyami 3. Reem Abdulrahman Mahmoud 4. AlAnoud Musaad AlTurki

Throughput Time Improvement for ABB’s PPTR Production Plant

1. Lulua Alsudairi

Mechanical Engineering

Design, Fabrication, and Test of an Efficient Vehicle.

1. Abdulmohsin Albabtain 2. Mishari AlSaud 3. Rashid Shahid 4. Saud AlSaud 5. Yasser Zahra 6. Yousef Elhossainy

Software Engineering

Online Accreditation Reporting System

Industrial Engineering

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Students’ Names

1. Hoda Ahmed Galal ELSayed 2. Ahoud Saleh Alrajhi

Ele

The Dean of Alfaisal University, Dr. Nidal Nasser, commented: “The event showcased our continuous strive for a high-standard engineering education with strong relevance to the Kindgom's needs and aspirations. The

Electrical

projects also emphasized relevance to the local society, as well an understanding of state-of-the-art engineering practices, technologies and trends.”

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College of Engineering Team Alfaisal from College of Engineering, awarded with Perseverance and Spirit of the Event Award by Shell Global! staying in high spirits, overcoming great obstacles, supporting others and showing outstanding endurance, resolve and resourcefulness.

Despite the delay in receiving their car onsite, Team Alfaisal showed great endurance, remained positive and choose to move forward and prepare whatever they could while waiting. Judges found them a step ahead when it come to sharing their material and resources with neighbouring teams.

Alfaisal University’s team, named Faith, from College of Engineering has been awarded with Perseverance and Spirit of the Event Award, by Shell The team donated their spare engine Global in the Shell Eco-marathon, due to the competing Philippines team to their outstanding performance in whose engine suddenly broke.

Judges said, “Team Alfaisal had demonstrated that the event is not about winning, instead reaching a common goal – driving innovation to achieve sustainable mobility”.

Abdulmohsin Albabtain, driver and team leader, said, “It’s not all about the competition, but shared knowledge as well. Several teams came to help us as we experienced problems with our car. It was all for one and one for all.”

Dr. Nidal Nasser, Dean of College of Engineering, said, “In this project, the Team Alfaisal students have made a plan, one that involves many hours of hard work and innovation. Over the past months and during the event, the students demonstrated patience and persistence in seeing that plan through. They did all their best to make it to the track. I am very proud of the team spirit even in difficult situations. Your participation is a win for the whole Alfaisal University family. A work well done.”

College of Engineering Siemens Day

The College of Engineering hosted a Siemens Day event on Thursday November 5th, 2015. The event was entitled “Jobs, Internship Opportunities, & Career Advice for Engineers.” A 150+ audience of students and faculty members attended the event.

Siemens HR Manager Ms. Nada Al Sheaiby and Head of Professional Education Dr. Nathaniel Darban

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engaged the students in a presentation and a follow up Q&A session on the male and female sides.

The presenter Ms. Nada masterfully engaged the students; informing them about the divisions of Siemens in the Kingdom, the Job and Internship opportunities, and gave them valuable career advice. The students followed with an active

Q&A over coffee and light snacks. This event was organized by Dr. Ahmed Oteafy at the College of Engineering.

The planning was coordinated with Dean Nidal Nasser, who stated that: “It is of paramount importance to establish collaboration with a world renowned engineering

company like Siemens that could serve the College on different fronts. This collaboration starts, but doesn’t end at, providing our students direct access to internship and career opportunities and advice.

The goal is then to further this collaboration to other potential venues such as workshops, course enrichment, and sponsorship.”

Interview: SARA ALARIFI Sara Alarifi is a math enthusiast, entrepreneur, designer, and cook by choice. She is a graduate of the Software Engineering program at Alfaisal University, and has remained true to her modest and humble nature by saying that it is too early to list any personal achievements, but that she has a lot of aspirations and ambitions.

One day, InshaAllah, she would like to be remembered for her eventual remarkable achievements.

Choosing Alfaisal University was not difficult for Sara. She appreciated the small student to professor ratio and the highly selective entrance requirements.

“The small student body and highly selective admissions criteria of the university appealed to me the most.

When I graduated from high school, Alfaisal’s female campus was just beginning its second year, with class enrollment in the single digits. From my perspective, this appeared to be a very select number of students with high academic standards. Consequently, I knew that this was a direct reflection of the academics taught there and later this first impression of mine was proven to be correct.”

I believe that if we can reach a point where all the members of our society are taking the initiative to better themselves then we will foster a perfect community.”

With regards to her 5-year plan, Sara isn’t sure because her individual goals are dependent on a myriad of factors.

Do not care about what you think maybe you should be doing as a “In the six months since my graduation, I have changed my plan four times. No ‘woman’ but rather matter what, though, the one goal that remains is to never stop doing the things focus on what you I love.” should be doing as a Role Model: ‘human being.’

I try to take the best traits from everyone Setting limits on self-determination for any specific group or race is the essence of discrimination. Each and every one of us is unique in our own way and we alone should determine what is best for ourselves in this life, e.g., whether it is being a fulltime parent or being the CEO of an international company.”

W

hen asked what impact she would want to make on society, Sara said that “I wish I could inspire more people to take charge of their lives and to be more independent in improving themselves, rather, than just sitting around waiting for others to spoon-feed them everything they need to know or to tell them what to do.

I meet; I have yet to meet the perfect person.

Book: Flatland

Quote: “To be safe we lose our chance of ever knowing what’s around the river bend.”

Favorite Alfaisal Moment: When a series of fortunate events lead to me being on the judging panel of the 2013 Alfaisal Got Talent show. It was truly an unforgettable experience.

Sara was not concerned by the fact that Engineering is a male-dominated field.

In fact, it’s something she never even thought about. The reason she chose Engineering was because she wanted a strong math-based major to support her future career path in Mathematical Research. With this in mind, Sara initially chose Industrial Engineering to obtain an insight into how best to optimize real-life processes utilizing Mathematics.

However, during her first semester at Alfaisal University, she was exposed to a programming course that changed her perceptions and future plans for her career completely.

F

or new female students at Alfaisal, Sara advises to always follow your heart.

“If you don’t know what your heart wants, explore alternative opportunities and try, test, and fail until you find what you’re passionate about. Success will follow naturally.

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Courtesy of Mohammad Sharique, Alfaisal Medical Student

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Alfaisal University: A research focused, student-centered, world-class institution; delivering exellence in educattion at your door step.

• We received excellent ranking of University scientific published papers by independent international agencies, & organizations.

In the Kingdom, Alfaisal University ranked 1st in impact of medical papers by Thomson Reuters 2nd in research excellence by SCImago Journal Rank, and 1st for second year in a row in citations per paper by QS University Ranking in Arab Region.

• For the third consecutive year, our University has been ranked first out of 15 competing programs in the national College of Medicine Placement Test with six of our Alfaisal College of Medicine students achieving a Top 10 placement out of a competitive field of 4,252 test takers.

• Our Medical students attained a 100% pass rate on the United States Medical Licensing Examination, surpassing the international average pass rate of 79%.

• Our College of Science students have set record number of Ivy League universities admissions in the US with acceptance into postgraduate programs from Columbia University, Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, and NYU (New York University).

• Architectural Engineering students made history by becoming the first female GSAS- Certified Green Professionals in Saudi Arabia; a system developed to create a sustainable environment. Current projects include the Qatar 2020 World Cup, Lusail City in Qatar, and Riyadh Metro Project.

• Alfaisal University secured an internship opportunity with the Infiniti Red Bull Racing Formula One team and the Infiniti Global Ltd. for its mechanical engineering student. Only 5 internships were awarded globally.

• Our College of Business established the first CGI (Corporate Governance Index) initiative in affiliation with Harvard University and Toronto University.

• We offer unique International study abroad opportunities to our Alfaisal students at top international institutes including Oxford University, Ashridge, John Hopkins, and Cleveland.

• Our Preparatory Year Program (UPP) has achieved impressive results in English as 100% of our UPP English Instructors are US natives coming from world-class TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) English programs in the US.

For more informations please visit our website http://www.alfaisal.edu Contact us 920000570

Student Affairs

The admission process varies from reviewing online applications, to following up with students’ frequent enquiries regarding admission through social media, emails, tickets and phone calls. Student Affairs also offers English proficiency tests for those who do not have a score for TOEFL or IELTS. Furthermore, Student Affairs aims to enrich Alfaisal students’ educational experience by providing them with multiple amenities such as enabling them to book classrooms and theaters for activities or study sessions, and sending them to conferences for leadership, teamwork, and professional development.

Across the globe, counselling in universities is known as a means to empower students and strengthen their personal, academic or life goals. Here at Alfaisal, the counselling unit provides services in the following areas: individual and group counselling, training in personal development and academic workshops, and awareness campaigns.

As in all universities, Student Affairs believes that an essential part of a university student's life is to experience extracurricular activities that help them to take a break from the stress of studying all the time. This is why Student Affairs organizes numerous activities to help students improve their social and interpersonal skills. More than 50 diverse events are organized every year. Our events focus mainly on the five following areas: academic, social, awareness, charity, and sports. Examples of our more popular events, for this past 2014 -15 academic year, are our Alfaisal Gamers’ Day, Culture Day, and the Most Outstanding Student Awards Ceremony

Student Affairs will also be organizing the annual educational trips this year and the top two choices are: Japan and South Korea. Student Affairs has initiated, for the first time, organizing a trip to perform Umrah in Makkah.

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Interview with Prof. Hend Turki Alsudairy

I specialize in English Literature, with a focus on postmodern novel. I received my PhD from PNU and my M.A. from KSU. I am the second Saudi female professor in English Literature. I had worked at PNU for 16 years before joining Alfaisal University. I have been working at Alfaisal University for the past four years now. My job involves dealing with students on a daily basis; as well as handling admission, registration, and student-related activities.

I love travelling and learning about other nations and cultures, reading all kinds of books and whenever I have time walking.

How does your role empower women at Alfaisal?

Education is the key factor in the development of any country and its people. It empowers women to achieve more in their social, vocational, economic and family milieu. In recognition of this fact, my position at Alfaisal is one of enabling students to achieve their potential through education. I believe that the goal of education surpasses earning a degree and being able to satisfy a requirement. As part of the Student Affairs Deanship, my goal is the development of the students’ skills and interests in addition to encourage them to believe in themselves and their abilities. Student Affairs at Alfaisal strives to help those in need of guidance and direction.

The policy manual at Alfaisal and the students’ handbook are revised annually to meet the needs of male and female students alike. The Student Affairs Deanship endeavors to be flexible and welcome students’ suggestions within the framework of academic regulations.

We believe that anything is possible if we work together as a team.

to seek advice or solve problems of an educational, social or psychological nature with the help of our team of female specialists. Female students are encouraged to speak out and voice their concerns and contribute to the academic and social life of the university. It sends a clear message to the female students that they have as much right as their male counterparts to participate in the formation of new policies and future projects of the university. My position as head of the female section also gives them the confidence that that they, too, can work hard and attain high administrative positions.

As an assistant to the dean, I have the opportunity to participate in policy formation as well as to ensure that there is equal opportunity for both genders. My role is to secure a voice for each student regardless of gender, and to spread awareness of gender equality.

Empowerment for women can be achieved. By spreading awareness of the importance of equal opportunity, and by supporting our female students in their endeavors to reach their full potential we make it possible for women to excel in both the workplace and within the community.

You see and deal with our women students every day at Alfaisal in different situations, are they

opportunity driven, passionate, and entrepreneurial?

From my experience with the young generation, they are all of these.

The female students are very active, hardworking and organized. We have more than 16 student clubs headed by female students, in addition to the Business and Science Student Associations. They have many ongoing initiatives during the year as many have achieved local and international recognition including participation in conferences. This year a group of engineering students formed the first club in the Middle East for “Robgals” which promotes their major like the one at Australia University.

Where do you see Saudi Women in 10 years from now?

Saudi woman have achieved a lot in the second millennium on different levels: political, social, and educational. Saudi women are more independent today than in the past; are more outspoken and have a confidence in their abilities coupled with their many cumulative experiences.

I am not exaggerating if I were to say there will be female ministers within the next 10 years. Many posts have now been secured by women with the government’s increased support for women. Also, I believe that many new majors will be available for women.

Being a female assistant dean makes it easier for the female students to come and visit my office on a daily basis and

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Facility Department Dear All, I believe you remember, in the last issue of this magazine we had furnished Facility Department’s overview (composition) along with a message from me briefing you about our activities in that year, and in this issue we would like to give you an overview of campus facilities and also highlight the major projects undertaken during the last academic year as part of our year in review.

So, enjoy reading!

Engr. Malek Al Mobarek

Facilities profile and who we are: Alfaisal has a range of state-of-the art amenities and equipment spread across 7 major buildings on 36.7 acre (149,000 m2) campus. These facilities provide students, faculty members and other admin staff a venue for study,

Regards Engr. Malek Al Mobarek Senior Facility Manager research and to carry out various other activities. The Facility Department takes pride in maintaining these facilities to sustainable world class standards, operating them in the most cost effective manner, providing essential services to students, colleges, and staff and thereby contributing to the overall enhancement and quality of life of the university community.

Alfaisal Campus is being constructed/developed in a phased manner and its built-up area will total 128,869 m2 when completed.

Status of Facilities: Buildings 1 (Mosque), Buildings 2 (College of Science and General Studies), Buildings 8 (Utility); completed and occupied; Buildings 3 (College of Business), Buildings 4 (Female Students Center), Buildings 5 (Auditorium), Buildings 6 (Library), Building 7 (Male Students Center)- Under final stages of completion; Building 9 (Palace) - Renovation phase under planning; Buildings 11 (College of Engineering), Buildings 10 (College of Medicine), Buildings 12 (Sports Complex) - in planning stage.

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Services offered by us: Year in Review: During the last academic year, apart from ensuring the facilities are operated and maintained in the best possible manner and events are executed successfully, we carried out a number of major capital projects as part of our commitment to provide all Alfaisalites with an ideal environment for learning, teaching and administration.

Significant projects supporting Academic programs and other support units include: 1. Capacity expansion of UPS for IT HUB. 2. New Air-conditioners for IT store and Offices.

3. Various classroom improvements focusing on technology, furnishings and lighting.

4. Construction of new workshops.

5. Renovation and furnishing of Laboratories.

6. Modification and furnishing of new library facility.

7. Preparing Chemical Storage Facility.

8. Implementation of ERP for efficient procurement & inventory.

9. Glass curtain wall at 4th floor - Library Building 10 . Management offices modification / expansion at 4th floor - Library Building 1. Replacement of worn out chilled water pumps with more efficient ones.

2. Repair and major overhauling of chillers.

3. Replacement of cooling tower and make up water pipelines.

Significant projects supporting health and safety include:

1. Repair and renovation of R.O. Plant.

2. Installation of hand sanitizers in new facilities.

3. Inspections and troubleshooting of fire alarm and fire fighting systems by a professional company.

4. Training of safety and security staff by SRCA (Saudi Red Crescent Authority).

In addition to the above, we brought in new food outlets and ice-cream parlors such as McDonald’s, SUBWAY, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Canton, Tako Hut, Roma Way, Shawirmarito, Baskin Robins and Roti Boy to improve food services portfolio and made improvements to campus landscape and sports facilities.

We, more than 100 employees of facility department, are proud of our university and committed to its success.

For Service, please contact facility@alfaisal.edu

Projects curren

tly in Construc

tion/Progress: 1. New Laborato ries and Worksho ps for College of En gineering.

2. Up-gradation of BMS system: Once completed this will give us , better control ov er equipment / environment as well as energy saving opportunities.

3. Up-gradation and implementa tion of Access Contro l and CCTV system s.

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Why the Semantic Web? The Semantic Web is a web of data. There is a lot of data that we all use every day and it is not part of the World Wide Web. We can see our bank statements on the web, our photographs, and our appointments in a calendar. But can we see our photos in a calendar or our bank statement lines in a calendar? Why not? Simply, because we don't have a web of data as data is controlled by applications, and each application keeps it unto itself.

The Semantic Web is about two things: Common formats for integration and the combination of data drawn from diverse sources, whereas, the original Web mainly concentrated on the interchange of documents. It is also about language for recording how data relates to real world objects. This allows a person or a machine to start off in one database and then move through an unending set of databases which are connected not by wires but rather content.

The main purpose of the Semantic Web is driving the evolution of the current Web by enabling users to find, share, and combine information more easily.

Humans are capable of using the Web to carry out tasks such as finding the German translation for "eight days," reserving a library book, and searching for the lowest price for a DVD. However, machines cannot accomplish all of these tasks without human direction because web pages are designed to be read by people, not machines. The Semantic Web is a vision of information that can be readily interpreted by machines, so machines can perform more of the tedious work involved in finding, combining, and acting upon information on the web.

It uses metadata as well.

The Semantic Web, as originally envisioned, is a system that enables machines to "understand" and respond to complex human requests based on their meaning. As such, an "understanding" requires that the relevant information sources be semantically structured.

Tim Berners-Lee originally expressed the vision of the Semantic Web as follows:

I have a dream for the Web [in which computers] become capable of analyzing all the data on the Web –the content, links, and transactions between people and computers. A "Semantic Web", which makes this possible, has yet to emerge, but when it does, the day-to-day mechanisms of trade, bureaucracy and our daily lives will be handled by machines talking to machines. The "intelligent agents" people have touted for ages will finally materialize.

Examples of Symantec Web

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1. Results displayed in Google Search 2. BBC 3. GetGlue 4. Flipboard

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Artificial intelligence (AI) is the intelligence exhibited by machines or software. It is an academic field of study which generally studies the goal of creating intelligence, whether in emulating human-like intelligence or not. Major AI researchers and textbooks define this field as "the study and design of intelligent agents," where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chances of success. John McCarthy, who coined the term in 1955, defines it as "the science and engineering of making intelligent machines."

Chess computers are one of the better examples of AI. The program was first able to beat strong chess players in the late 1980s. Their most famous success was the victory of Deep Blue over the then World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov in 1997, but there was some controversy over whether the match conditions favored the computer.

5G (5th generation mobile networks or 5th generation wireless systems) denotes the next major phase of mobile telecommunications standards beyond the current 4G/IMT-Advanced standards.

5G is also referred to as beyond 2020 mobile communications technologies.

5G does not describe any particular specification in any official document published by any telecommunication standardization body.

Although updated standards that define capabilities beyond those defined in the current 4G standards are under consideration, those new capabilities are still being grouped under the current ITU-T 4G standards.

Driverless Cars An autonomous car also known as a driverless car, self-driving car and robotic car, is an automated or autonomous vehicle capable of fulfilling the main transportation capabilities of a traditional car. As an autonomous vehicle, it is capable of sensing its environment and navigating without human input.

Robotic cars exist mainly as prototypes and demonstration systems.

As of 2014, the only self-driving vehicles that are commercially available are open-air shuttles for pedestrian zones that operate at 12.5 miles per hour (20.1 km/h).

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Research Performance Indicators The recent report from QS World University Rankings for Arab Region 2015 shows that Alfaisal University has maintained its 1st place ranking in the Kingdom for the second year in a row and has improved its ranking in the Arab Region from 8 to 5 in the number of citations per scientific paper according to the Scopus database. The QS ranking methodology, which is largely based on surveys, is reputation driven with 50% of an institution’s score derived from surveys.

Alfaisal University Ranking Weight (%)*

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Indicator

Saudi Arabia

Arab Region

2014

2015

2014

2015

30

Academic Reputation from Global Survey

8

9

51+

51+

20

Employer Reputation from Global Survey

NA

9

NA

51+

20

Faculty Student Ratio

8

8

51+

48

5

Proportion of Staff with PhD

1

7

25

51+

5

Papers per Faculty from Scopus

1

2

5

8

5

Citations per Paper from Scopus

1

1

8

5

2.5

Proportion of International Faculty

1

3

4

22

2.5

Proportion of International Students

1

2

24

27

10

Web Impact from Webometrics

8

11

51+

51+

OVERALL (based on weighted average*)

8

8

42

35

National Research Funding

• National Science, Technology & Innovation Plan (NSTIP) 2014-2015 - 8 projects with total of 13 million SAR

• General Directorate of Research Grants (GDRG), KACST, 2014-2015 - 5 projects with total of 6 million SAR

Faculty Awards for Research Excellence 2015 It is with great pleasure on behalf of the Research & Graduate Studies Council we announce the winners of the Faculty Awards for Research Excellence for 2015.

This year’s recipients are:

• Ahmed Yaqinuddin, Assistant Professor of Anatomy & Cell Biology in the College of Medicine • Samir Brahim Belhaouari, Assistant Professor of Mathematics in the College of Science & General Studies • Redha M. Radaydeh, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering in the College of Engineering

Faculty Awards for Research Excellence are given to recognize, encourage, and reward those individuals whose research or creative endeavors have been particularly successful and are recognized locally, regionally, and nationally. Our warmest congratulations to this year’s winners. We wish them continued success at Alfaisal University.

Student Research Productivity

• A total of 81 student posters were part of the 6th Annual Research Day Student Poster Competition in 2015 • Over 80 refereed publications with faculty members • Ten Alfaisal University Student Projects Awarded $100,000 USD in BOEING Students Research Grants.

• Alfaisal is the only university in the region to receive such awards from BOEING.

BOEING Support of Student Research Projects

• Only university in region to receive this type of support • $200,000 USD of support for student research projects • Competitive internationally • 15 projects with student as PI • Design of Solar car with Alfaisal COE students

SHELL ECO-MARATHON CHALLENGE A group of Alfaisal University’s engineering students, “Team Alfaisal,” was awarded the Perseverance and Spirit of the Event Award in the Shell Eco-marathon Challenge held in Manila in February 2015, due to their outstanding performance in maintaining high spirits, overcoming great obstacles, support of others and for demonstrating outstanding endurance, resolve and resourcefulness. Students from the College of Engineering joined national and international universities in building ultra-fuelefficient vehicles. Team Alfaisal consisted of nine highly motivated students and a faculty member. This was the first time that Saudi universities joined the competition in the Shell Eco-marathon. Teams from two other national universities also took part: KSU and KFUPM. Despite the delay in receiving their car onsite in Manila, Team Alfaisal showed great endurance, remained positive and chose to move forward and prepare whatever they could while waiting. Judges found them proactive when it came to sharing their materials and resources with other teams. For example, the team donated their spare engine to a competing team from the Philippines team whose engine suddenly broke.

The Judges said, “Alfaisal demonstrated that the event is not about winning, instead reaching a common goal – driving innovation to achieve sustainable mobility.”

Abdulmohsin Albabtain, driver and team leader, said, “It’s not all about the

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competition, but shared knowledge as well. Several teams came to help us as we experienced problems with our car. It was all for one and one for all.”

Two Million SAR Awarded to Four Faculty Members in New Strategic Research Grants Competition Funded

by Alfaisal University The Office of Research & Graduate Studies at Alfaisal University is pleased to announce the winners of a new internally funded Strategic Research Grants Competition (SRG 2015). From L to R in the photograph: Garwin Kim Sing from the College of Medicine, George Kulik from the College of Science & General Studies, Ricardo Santa from the College of Business, and Tarek H. Mokhtar from the College of Engineering. A total of two million SAR was awarded over two years in this new strategic grants competition funded by the University. The projects started in January 2015. All applications were externally reviewed by international experts using a format similar to the KACST and NSTIP competitions.

Graduate Programs Alfaisal University currently has seven active graduate programs.

The programs and respective tracks are:

• Master of Business Administration (MBA)

• Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBS)

- Analytical Biochemistry - Biotechnology

- Clinical Embryology & Reproductive Biology

(SCHS certified)

- Infection Control (SCHS certified)

- Molecular & Cell Biology

• Master of Genetic Counselling (MGC)

- Certified by Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS)

• Master of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology (MNT)

- Nanomaterials for Energy & Environmental

Applications

- Nanomedicine & Nanodiagnostics

• Master of Public Health (MPH) (SCHS certified)

- Mass Gatherings (Hajj and Umrah)

- Biostatistics & Epidemiology

- Health Policy & Management

• Master of Radiological & Imaging Sciences (MRS)

- Education (SCHS certified)

- Management (SCHS certified) - Ultrasound

• Master of Engineering and Systems Managment

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T

he goals and objectives of the Alfaisal University Library are to provide current library materials and databases that support the academic curriculum; in addition, to providing access to information resources regardless of location, educating and assisting college students and staff in the identification and effective use of information resources, and continuing the ongoing process of strengthening and updating all collections to meet the needs of all Alfaisal University programs.

We also strive to ensure that resources available are current, appropriate, and accessible 24/7.

O

ur new print library is a thriving university academic resource with more than 3,000 items in the collection; in addition, to our books collection that contains more than 190,000 eBooks. Our books were selected carefully to serve library users’ needs for all subjects taught in the colleges. Our Alfaisal library will provide vibrant study environments, employing the latest technologies and methods to meet both your needs as a faculty, researcher, and student in both the men’s library and the women’s library.

O

ne of Alfaisal library’s unique services is the Information Literacy Program, where we conducted more than 35 ILP sessions, attended by approximately 930 students during the 2014-15 academic year. These sessions were given to students in the different colleges covering various subjects or topics. Students that attended these sessions are now more familiar with the library electronic resources and have a better understanding of the academic search mechanisms and techniques. The library will continue to provide these information literacy sessions during the current academic year to improve research and library skills of the students.

O

ur vision at Alfaisal University Library includes being an active and visible partner in the enhancement of learning and in the creation of new knowledge. We will engage students, staff, and faculty in dynamic, usercentered processes for planning, delivering and assessing all programs, services, and information resources.

Director of the Library Dr. Mustafa Abdelwahid, Director of the Library, says “We are very proud of our Library, and are delighted to share it with you. Whether

you are seeking particular books or periodicals for your research or browsing the shelves for pleasure reading, we hope you will be comfortable at the Library and draw on the expertise of our staff to find what you need.”

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ALFAISAL’S CAREER EXPO ALFAISAL’S FOURTH ANNUAL CAREER EXPO

Alfaisal University hosted its fourth annual Career Expo on the 4th and 5th of March 2015. There were 42 participating companies of which 13 cosponsored the event. All proceeds, minus expenses, will assist in funding future APR Department activities. Attendees numbered 1,451, and exceeded all previous event totals for attendance.

ALUMNI & PLACEMENT RELATIONS DEPARTMENT

Alumni & Placement Relations Department’s goal is to have all graduates stay in contact with their alma mater, Alfaisal, by participating in the various activities offered by the Alfaisal Alumni Association. The APR team is committed to providing services and networking opportunities to ensure the success for each and every alum throughout their chosen career path. The APR provides all graduates with an alumni emailing list, so that they can stay updated on all announcements regarding workshops, courses, career fairs, and job offers.

THE CAREER EXPO

The career expo is an exposition for employers, recruiters, and schools to meet with prospective jobseekers.

Expos typically include company or organization tables and booths where resumes can be collected and business cards exchanged. At Alfaisal University, the career expo is an enriching experience where seniors and graduates have an opportunity to network and connect with exhibitors. Students benefit from the elite alumni service, and attendees from the public are offered a chance to submit their CVs to companies that they are interested in while learning more about Alfaisal University’s graduate programs, e.g., MBA, MNT, MPH, MBS, MRIS, MEM and MGC.

ALFAISAL’S FIFTH ANNUAL CAREER EXPO

Alfaisal University hosted its fifth annual Career Expo on the 2nd and 3rd of March 2016. There were 32 participating companies of which 7 cosponsored the event. All proceeds, minus expenses, were donated to the students’ fund and will assist in funding future APR Department activities.

Attendees numbered 1,854, and exceeded all previous event totals for attendance.

Upcoming Events Committees and clubs 19th - 22nd April, 2017 Finding path to success (Business student association) 5th, 6nd May, 2017 Engineering fair (Engineering student association) 11th May, 2017 Be program (Medical student association) 12th, 13th May, 2017 Alfasial gamer’s day (Social and development committee) 19th, 20th May, 2017 Alfaisal medical student summit (Medical student association)

ALFAISAL’S THIRD ANNUAL CAREER FAIR

Alfaisal University hosted its third annual career fair on the 30th of April and the 1st of May 2014. There were 33 participating companies of which three cosponsored the event. All proceeds, less expenses from the event, were donated to the students’ fund.

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Other departments 13th, 15th April, 2017 Reunion 26th, 27th April, 2017 Graduation

Courtesy of Mohammad Sharique, Alfaisal Medical Student

www.alfaisal.edu