International Higher Education Exhibition and Conference opens

Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, His Excellency the Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Alangari, inaugurated today the fifth edition of the International Exhibition and Conference on Higher Education at the Riyadh International Exhibition Center.

The ceremony prepared for the occasion began with verses from the Holy Quran, followed by an opening welcoming speech by the Minister of Education, during which he welcomed the attendees and participants and said: I am pleased at first to convey to you the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, His Highness the Crown Prince Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, and His Highness the Second Deputy Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, for your honor at this ceremony and your contribution to the activities of this conference.

His Excellency extended the highest expressions of thanks and gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for his generous sponsorship of the fifth session of the International Exhibition and Conference on Higher Education, and to the attendees, sincere thanks and appreciation for your presence and positive participation in these events. He said: There is no doubt that these exhibitions and their accompanying events are a qualitative leap that enriches the academic process of higher education, and we look forward, God willing, that the activities of this session represent a practical, realistic basis on which to discuss emerging issues, exchange experiences and learn about experiences that contribute to the formulation of ideas and initiatives that enrich the distinct steps of the higher education process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
His Excellency pointed out that the fifth session is an international forum to enhance cooperation and build partnerships between Saudi higher education institutions and their international counterparts, and to emphasize common understanding on dealing with issues that concern higher education around the world.
Dr. Al-Angari said: "We have worked hard to develop the exhibition over the past years, in an effort to make it a wide field for learning about universities, institutes and other higher education institutions inside and outside the Kingdom from prestigious international universities, as well as a platform for communication between students and faculty members from different universities and those concerned with higher education affairs.
He continued: The International Exhibition and Conference for Higher Education in its previous session 1434 AH (2013 AD) witnessed a great turnout from international and local entities; 490 higher education institutions participated in it, and the number of participants in the exhibition reached more than (1000) exhibitors from (36) countries. His Excellency explained that what can be said about this academic event is that it is one of our serious steps in achieving a balance between the rhythm of the latest methods of technical progress and the rhythm of spiritual cultural inheritance.
His Excellency went on to say: The government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, recognizes the key role of higher education in developing human resources, diversifying the sources of the national economy, improving awareness and health services, prosperity of the individual and society, localizing technology, developing creativity and innovation, and creating the appropriate environment for this, so higher education was one of the development sectors that received great attention during the past years.
His Excellency pointed out that this has resulted in quantitative and qualitative development in all higher education institutions, its axes and activities, including the size of infrastructures such as university cities and scientific capabilities, as well as the numbers of enrollment and enrollment, and the numbers of faculty members and supporting cadres.
He pointed out that the Ministry of Higher Education and Universities is concerned with strengthening the components of the knowledge economy by providing scientific research activities, creativity programs and sponsoring innovation, His Excellency reviewed the initiatives implemented by the ministry, such as the technology valleys in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dhahran and Makkah, to serve as incubators for innovation and creativity through the establishment of science parks, innovation centers and research facilities for companies inside and outside the country. Fourteen centers of research excellence, eight research centers at emerging universities, and eight research centers for nanotechnology.
His Excellency listed some of the development projects sponsored by the ministry, such as the Program for the Development of Scientific Departments in Saudi Universities, the Program for Quality Leadership and Management of Higher Education Institutions, the National Project for the Measurement of Higher Education Outcomes, the Program for the Development of Creativity and Innovation in Saudi Universities, in addition to the periodic programs and studies provided by the Center for Academic Leadership in Higher Education.
Dr. Al-Angari stressed the Ministry's endeavor to develop an environment of creativity and innovation, instill a spirit of competition, and motivate students to reflect and reflect, which is urged by our true Islamic religion, since the beginning of enrollment in the stage of university studies, by holding annual student scientific conferences in which students review their scientific and research achievements, citing that the conference is accompanied every year by an exhibition of innovation, patents, entrepreneurship projects and other activities.
He said: All these initiatives, programs, activities and centers are keenly and sincerely seeking to localize the concepts of innovation and creativity, develop them, and build the appropriate environment for them, similar to the practices of distinguished international universities in this aspect, and all Saudi universities contribute to this with different and integrated functions, indicating that the role of universities in this context is focused on identifying the types of innovation and creativity that the Saudi society needs, and directing education and research activities to qualify creators and innovators and support and care for them.
His Excellency reviewed some of the functions of innovation, including improving the educational and research skills of faculty members, with the aim of improving processes within the university and the university's research products or the scientific and life skills of graduates, as higher education has used innovative methods in e-learning and distance education to expand community participation in higher education and make the learner the focus of the educational process, and Saudi universities have expanded the availability of e-learning through the latest technologies in offering multiple programs, in addition to what the Saudi Electronic University is doing.
His Excellency pointed out that one of the catalysts of creativity and innovation is the role played by higher education in creating entrepreneurship, and thus economic and social growth, improving the level of income, increasing employment opportunities, and promoting well-being and prosperity. Thus, higher education has responded to all sincere calls aimed at advancing every aspect of our academic journey, realizing that calls for progress will only be echoes in space if their implementation is not based on sincerity and sincerity.
His Excellency the Minister of Higher Education said: The march of higher education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has kept pace with the expansion of the Kingdom's area with its sprawling extremities; it has met its demands, as well as the population growth and the increase in the percentage of university-age youth, increasing the absorptive capacity of universities, which spread throughout all regions of the Kingdom, until their number reached (38) thirty-eight public and private universities in addition to King Abdullah University for Science and Technology. The royal order issued two weeks ago to establish new universities in Hafar Al-Batin, Bisha and Jeddah still echoes in our hearts with love and pride for the fatherhood of our wise leadership. Our universities now include more than six hundred colleges, and more than one million and three hundred thousand students are studying in higher education. The number of scholarships under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program exceeded more than one hundred and fifty thousand male and female students studying at various stages of higher education, all of which come to fulfill and meet the main needs of the labor market in the Kingdom, explaining that the percentage of females enrolled in higher education reached (55) percent of the total enrolled students.
His Excellency added : This expansion and quantitative spread was accompanied by great care for quality, represented in the role of the National Center for Measurement and Evaluation to ensure the quality of higher education inputs, and their proper guidance to specializations suitable for their abilities, and through the work of the National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment in implementing institutional and program accreditation processes, in addition to a number of programs, colleges and universities obtaining international academic accreditation, where all Saudi universities work to complete the requirements for academic accreditation, whether at the national or international level, by directing specialized agencies and departments in universities to follow up quality procedures, evaluation and accreditation.
In order to achieve this, the budgets allocated to education in general and to higher education have increased steadily over the past five years, until the budget allocated for general education, higher education and training this year reached 210 billion riyals, or 24.6 percent, of which higher education accounted for 10 percent of the state's general budget, which amounts to 855 billion riyals, he said, noting that despite the state's commitment to funding higher education, it is important to provide other sources of sustainable funding. He pointed out that despite the state's commitment to funding higher education, it is important to provide other sources of funding sustainability, and so far a number of public universities have been able to provide additional sources of funding, especially through endowments and scientific investments, and it is hoped to expand the size of these endowments and adopt them in the rest of the universities, and a number of universities attract funding from the private sector to support scientific research chairs, and their interests varied in many basic, theoretical, applied and medical sciences and many societal issues.
His Excellency added: The Ministry of Higher Education is looking forward to the participation of 430 entities and more than 1000 exhibitors from 30 countries, where it is expected - God willing - to sign 18 agreements between Saudi universities and their foreign counterparts, in addition to holding (7) specialized workshops and (75) general workshops.
His Excellency stressed the importance of the event as it is a great opportunity to meet higher education institutions and those in charge of them, as well as those concerned with this vital developmental sector, including faculty members, students and parents, and to learn about higher education institutions and their developments, higher education technologies and areas of creativity and innovation, to which many countries of the world, including the Kingdom, are contributing.
His Excellency added: "The participation of a large number of distinguished experts from around the world will add scientific and qualitative value to this forum," he added, welcoming His Excellency and higher education to receive opinions and recommendations and listen to the experiences of the attendees in this regard.
At the end of his speech, he thanked everyone and expressed his deep appreciation for the participation and attendance, and the positive contributors to the success of this edition of the International Higher Education Exhibition and Conference.
After that, H.E. Roy Quinn, Minister of Education and Skills in Ireland, delivered a speech at the ceremony in which he expressed his pleasure to participate in this international conference, explaining that the conference will discuss many important topics during its days in the lectures and workshops that will be held.
He explained the importance of higher education and its connection to technology, which contributed to the development of the educational process.
For his part, H.E. Tony Chan, President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, delivered a speech during which he reviewed a qualitative research entitled "The Quest for Entrepreneurship" in the People's Republic of China, a case study, during which he showed the strength that China has reached as the largest exporting country in the world and the second largest importing country, indicating the size of government spending and its increase on scientific and university research.
He also reviewed the volume of energy, high technologies, strong cultures, private entrepreneurship, and the role of universities as a key stage in the development of public education and applied development.
His Excellency Tan Chor Chuan, Chancellor of the National University of Singapore, gave a speech in which he reviewed the renaissance of innovative universities and gave an introduction to them, emphasizing the importance of moving towards the most innovative universities.
He outlined the possibilities of working in America, the skills that members of innovative universities should have, and the reasons why universities are more innovative.
The Minister of Higher Education then cut the ribbon to mark the opening of the exhibition.
The Minister then toured the exhibition and inspected its corners and the participating universities and international and local organizations.
In a press statement following the tour, the Minister of Higher Education stressed that the knowledge economy is a strategic goal of the Kingdom in the national plans and we are doing higher education in achieving what concerns us the goal and what we see from years and expansion of the education system and universities inside the Kingdom and its branches and the programs that are offered and the skills that have entered new and qualifying students and qualifying faculty members and what suits the knowledge economy all this we see internally and externally through the large scholarship program implemented by the Kingdom and plays a role in the formation of the knowledge economy.
On the importance of innovation, His Excellency said that this is a strategic goal in the AFAC plan and we have started working on its implementation and soon in the student conference and you will find models in that, stressing that innovation is the main nerve to achieve the knowledge society.
On international participation in higher education conferences, His Excellency the Minister of Higher Education said: One of the objectives is the participation of prestigious universities in order to be close to students wishing to study outside the Kingdom and they can get to know the universities, and we know that there are distinguished students who get direct admission from these universities through the exhibition and many apply and are accepted, and there are other aspects of the conference, which is to bring prestigious international institutions closer to our university institutions so that there is communication between them so that there is communication and the contracts that are signed by the services and participation of universities in the conference confirm the success of this approach in addition to the foreign universities learning about what is already present at the universities in the Kingdom from scientific progress of research centers and expertise
Regarding the recommendations of the conclusion of the Saudi Cultural Attachés Forum, His Excellency said that the recommendations will be published and that the aim of the meeting is to provide the best services to students, identify the obstacles facing the attachés, exchange experiences and difficulties facing cultural attachés, review issues that have been resolved, exchange experiences and review experiences among them.
His Excellency emphasized that the attachés play their role in the countries and that there is activity and we seek through the meetings to be more active.