Establishment:
King Faisal University was founded in 1975 (1395H) by royal decree with a main campus in the city of Hofuf in Al-Ahsa and a branch campus in Dammam .The university was inaugurated by the late King Faisal Bin Abdulaziz on 6
th of Jamada II, 1397 H. At the time of inauguration KFU comprised four colleges; Agriculture and Food Science, Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, Medicine, and Architecture.
Location:
KFU is located south of the city of Hofuf and occupies a total land space of 4,000,000 square meters. The university‟s station for Agriculture and Veterinary Training and Research near Guaiba also sits on a land space of 6,000,000 square meters. In addition, the new campus teaching hospital (under construction) with its capacity of 400-patient beds is situated on a 1,500,000 square meters land, 25 kilometer east of the city of Hofuf.
Colleges:
By 2011 the number of colleges at KFU has risen to 16 including the following:
1. Agriculture and Food Sciences
2. Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources
3. Medicine
4. Engineering
5. Clinical Pharmacy
6. Science
7. Computer Science and Information Technology
8. Business Administration
9. Education
10. Arts
11. Applied Studies and Community Service
12. Community College (for girls)
13. Applied Medical Sciences (soon)
14. Dentistry (soon)
15. Law
16. Community (in Abqaiq)
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Deanships:
KFU has 11 supporting deanships as follows:
1. Graduate Studies
2. Scientific Research
3. Admission and Registration
4. Student affairs
5. Library Affairs
6. Faculty Affairs
7. Academic development
8. Preparatory year
9. Information Technology
10. Electronic and Distance learning
11. Quality Assurance and Academic Accreditation
Research Centers:
Research centers at KFU include:
1. Institute of Research and Consultations
2. Date Palm Research Centre ( Center of Excellence)
3. Water Studies
4. Camel Research
5. Fisheries Wealth Research
6. Avian Research
7. National Center for Research on Talent and Creativity
8. Nanotechnology Unit
9. Agricultural and Veterinary Training and Research Station
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Students:
KFU hosts a student population of 21756 in its undergraduate level main stream programs. 8135 (37.4%) students are males and 13621(62.6%) are females. In addition, 27547 students (males and females) are enrolled in distance and e-learning education programs. Together the total figure of undergraduate student enrollment at KFU is 49303. Student enrollment in postgraduate programs at KFU is 523
Faculty:
A total number of 1245 comprises the faculty population at KFU. 790 or 64 % are males and 455 or 36% are females. Saudi Faculty are 689 (55%), with 386 (56%) males and 303 (44%) females.
Academic Programs:
Covering a large genre of important specialties, KFU offers a total of 86 academic programs. 59 of these programs are undergraduate and 27 are graduate programs. Graduates of such programs earn degrees ranging from higher diploma to master degree.
KFU Under Graduate Programs include:
In the College of Arts
In the College of Science
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Physics
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Chemistry
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Life Science
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Mathematics
In the College of Education
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Special Education
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Kindergarten
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Physical Education
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Art Education
In the College of Business Administration
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In the College of Computer Science and Information Technology
In the College of Engineering
In the College of Agriculture Science and Food
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Plant Biotechnology
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Nutrition
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Food Science
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Food Industry
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Plant Protection
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Fisheries
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Ruminantia Sciences
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Poultry Science
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Applied Agricultural Science
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Water Science
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Agribusiness
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Consumer sciences
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Home Economics sciences
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Child and Family Science
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Clothing and Textiles Science
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Ecology
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Natural Resources
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Animal Biotechnology
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Food Biotechnology
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Horticultural Sciences
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Crop Sciences
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Therapeutic Science
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Agricultural Systems Engineering
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Field Mechanization
In the College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources
In the College of Clinical Pharmacy
In the College of Medicine and Surgery
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KFU Post Graduate Programs include
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Crops and Range
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Agricultural Economics
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Soils and Water
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Plant Protection
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Agricultural Engineering
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Food Science and Technology
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Animal Sciences
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Home Economics – Nutrition
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Home Economics – Education
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Home Economics - Family and Child Development
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Animal Health-Laboratory Diagnosis
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Animal Health - Preventive Medicine
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Veterinary Anatomy
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Theriogenology
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Veterinary Pathology
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Veterinary Pharmacology
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Applied Linguistics (TEFL)
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Arabic Language - Literary Criticism
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Arabic Language - Linguistics
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Educational Administration
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Giftedness and Creativity
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Psychological Counseling and Guidance
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Student Counseling and Guidance
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MBA
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Mathematics
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Physics
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Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (soon)
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Distance Learning:
In addition to main stream education, KFU offers e-learning and distance education. State- of- the- art e-learning systems are used in this program. These include virtual classroom system for interactive synchronous learning and class capturing system, to avail lectures asynchronously to learners through the internet and mobile phone. The number of enrollment in the e-learning programs is around 27547 students. Students earn bachelors degree in the eight programs offered. These programs are offered in the colleges of Arts, Education, and Business Administration. These programs include the following specialties:
In the College of Arts
-Arabic Language
-English Language
-Islamic Studies
-Social Studies (Geography, History, Sociology)
In the College of Education
-Special Education
In the College of Business Administration
- Business Administration
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Research:
With its solid base of highly qualified researchers, well trained technical staff, and fully equipped research labs and facilities, KFU has set itself as one of the leading higher education and research institutions in the kingdom. KFU's qualitative research centers, training and research station, deanship of scientific research, and institute of research and consultations continue to redirect their strategies, programs, and activities to recruit more able researchers, attract more funding, engage in more outstanding research projects, and achieve more international collaboration and linkages to bring KFU's research programs and publications to more internationally recognized standards.
Starting 2010, the university has reshaped its vision and mission and assumed more responsibility towards and engagement with the community. Accordingly, and to harmonize with this new era, both vision and mission of research in the university have been redrawn. KFU's new vision for research is to “be recognized as the area leading university where research directly benefits local society and environment.” Consequently, the university's research mission is to be distinguished as a “governmental institution where research will be focused on areas that pertain to society and environment needs and problems”
Based on this renewed sense of research, the university will seek to achieve excellence in some identified areas, giving priority to: Environmental Sustainability, Natural Resource Management, Medicine and Healthcare, Agriculture and Food resources, Engineering for Hot and Arid Regions, Biotechnology, and Nontechnology and Material science Applications. In this new phase, KFU will work to advance knowledge through creative research and scholarship across a wide range of academic disciplines and to nurture a high quality graduate research environment. The tools to accomplish this will include but will not be limited to the following:
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Increase research external funding through requiring more applications to external grants
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Create the appropriate infrastructure to support research growth: buildings, labs, technicians, and support services such as Grants Management personnel
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Eliminate all paper work related to grant submission, management: Convert all to electronic forms and electronic signatures.
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Create a supportive environment for ambitious early career researchers and high-achieving academics
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Serve the academic community with an excellent, responsive and fully integrated research administration
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Manage financial resources to support research capacity and infrastructure
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Capitalize on the wide spectrum of specialties in the university's research base to develop and sustain a strong portfolio of inter-disciplinary research
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Improve the opportunities for, and effectiveness of, the initiation of new inter-disciplinary research collaborations
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Educate faculty and researchers on how the patent process works from beginning to end
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Ensure faculty retention by protecting their space, improving income and facilitating their research capabilities.
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Increase the number of graduate programs
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Attract outstanding students and help them develop loyalty to the institution.
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Increase the number of graduate students by improving capacity in graduate programs
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Initiate doctoral programs in fields of strong research at the university
In the equation of more enablement of the university's research capabilities for better enablement and development of the community, the newly established Institute of Research and Consultations is set to play a major role in reaching out to the community with KFU's expertise in various developmental fields, carrying solutions to existing problems, be they social or scientific, related to knowledge, business, or industry, leading to short-term or sustainable development. Through contractual research, the institute will magnify the return of KFU's investment in human and material resources and infrastructure, providing innovative research, consultative, analytical, and technical services, and high impact training to public and private sectors to help them better address their greatest challenges and improve the quality of their services and products, increase the speed of their performance, and maximize the their return and revenue.
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Community Engagement:
KFU has always been an active public agent in service of the community. This has even been reflected more evidently in the new overall strategic plan of the university which has set community engagement as a main title for its services in education and research. Through several arms including the different colleges, college of applied studies and community service, community college, research centers, the training and research station, the teaching hospital, the veterinary teaching hospital and others service units,
KFU continues to play a major role in the enhancement, cultivation, and development of its immediate community and the larger community of the Kingdom in general.
To name but a few, KFU's engagement with the community include the following activities:
1. For the past 35 years, KFU has successfully managed to provide the Saudi job market with large numbers of highly qualified workforce in various disciplines. KFU graduates serve in both public and private sectors as teachers, doctors, Veterinarians, engineers, architects, pharmacists, dentists, nurses, agriculturists, computer specialists, bankers, accountants, administrators and technicians.
2. KFU's research centers have always worked in close relationship with the surrounding community and responded to its major concerns and immediate needs. The Center of Excellence for Research in Palm and Date, for instance, have extended its services to the community through qualitative research, training, and extension activities in the field of palm trees and dates helping local farmers as well as local date and Palm businesses and industries find working solutions to persistent problems in processes of growing, protecting, harvesting, processing, and marketing of dates and their products. Presently, one of the most important concerns of the centre is finding best possible solutions to combat the Red Palm Weevil in Date Palm farms in Saudi Arabia. With a generous funding from Saudi Aramco, and in conjunction with national and international partners, the center is engaged in a series of scientific laboratory investigations and field experiments to unveil a successful mechanism to combat the RPW and help defenseless Saudi farmers against this insect that has viscously invaded and continues to threaten to destroy hundreds of thousands of acres of Palm Plantations in the country.
Such commitments and services are also true of other research centers in the university such as water studies center, camel research center, avian research center, fisheries wealth research center, These centers also work in close relationship with the community, as part of their main focus in research and development is of immediate appeal to and direct impact on communal heritage and tradition, patterns of consumption, professions and income, and sports and recreational activities.
3. The recently established National Research Center for Giftedness and Creativity serves to meet the society's expectations in stimulating scientific research in this area and help foster in the society the culture and educational practices of giftedness and creativity when preparing youngsters to assume their leading positions in building the society and reinforcing its accomplishments. The establishment of this national center, by royal decree, expresses the university's intension to keep up with and support the vision of this country's leadership in long-term investment in creative and gifted minds to fulfill the objectives of turning into knowledge-based and developed society. The center aims at achieving qualitative research and carrying out consultative tasks in giftedness and creativity field to reinforce and develop the dedicated programs and practices for serving giftedness and creativity in the society.
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4. KFU's dedication to serving the community has also been significantly translated in health care services it provided to the larger eastern province community through King Fahad Teaching Hospital in Al-Khobar. Hundreds of thousands of Saudi nationals and non-Saudi residents have benefited from the general and specialized ambulatory, clinical, and hospitalization services of this hospital. To continue its legacy of qualitative community health services, KFU is on the verge of inaugurating a brand new, cutting – edge technology equipped, four hundred- bed teaching hospital and research center in Al-Ahsa that is currently under intensive construction work and which, with its state-of-the-art design and medical facilities, is expected to be a regional landmark and a marked addition to health services in the densely populated Al-Ahsa community.
5. Recognizing the importance and growing complexities of blood diseases in Al-Ahsa and Eastern Province in general, and acknowledging the significant health problems these diseases bring unto their sufferers and the fact that these diseases have been responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality in the region, KFU, with the generous contribution of a responsible donor, have established Mohammad Bin Abdelrahman Al-Omaran Scientific Chair for Prevalent Diseases in Al-Ahsa aiming to bring more attention and specialized intensive scientific work to these serious health disorders to seek to improve the care and outcome of their patients. Working in close collaboration with KFU's medical facilities, local hospitals in Al-Ahsa and Qateef areas, and some reputable international specialized centers, this scientific chair aims to function as an advanced national blood center focusing on research that will enhance understanding of haemoglobinopatheis and their management to aid in the restless local and international quest for successful medical intervention to eliminate the pain, the sufferings, and the mortality these common diseases inflect on patients of blood conditions.
6. The unique college of veterinary medicine and animal resources and its teaching hospital in addition to the specialized camel research center have long been serving local breeders through field visits and public and private consultations on best practices for reproduction and protection of their stocks and provided clinical care and surgical treatments of injuries and different diseases of animals. Such services have extended to reach breeders from neighboring Arab Gulf states.
7. Several initiatives have been undertaken by the university to avail more university education opportunities to larger numbers of learners in the local community. The diploma programs of the college of applied sciences and community service have facilitated continuing education opportunities for on-job learners and middle higher education diploma seekers. The e-learning and distance education programs have made it possible for 11000 students of both sexes to continue their education and earn bachelor degree in disciplines such as art, business and education. With the generous approval of H.H. Prince Mohammad Bin Fahad Bin Abdulaziz, governor of Eastern Province, an agreement has been signed between His Highness and the University to offer 100 scholarships to children of poor families in the Eastern Province as part of His Highness's Scholarship Program at Eastern Province Charital Society. A similar agreement has also been signed with H. H. Prince Badr Bin Mohammad Bin Jalawi, Governor of Al-Ahsa and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Al-Ahsa Charital Society to offer children of needy families in Al-Ahsa area opportunities to earn higher education degrees at the university. Two other agreements have been signed with both Al-Ahsa and Eastern Province Prison Authorities to offer seats in the distance learning programs to a good number of male and female inmates who are serving sentences in both parties facilities.
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Partnerships and Collaboration:
KFU has agreements and works in close collaboration with a good number of national and international institutions, organizations, and agencies in academic and research areas of mutual interest. At the national level, KFU has signed 18 agreements with different ministries, universities, research centers, and industry and business organizations. KFU's domestic partnerships include such organization as.
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Ministry of Higher Education
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Ministry of Health
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Ministry of Agriculture
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Saudi Commission for Health Specialties
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Research Center in King Faisal Specialist Hospital
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King Saud University
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Saudi Aramco
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Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu
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Saudi Basic Industries Corporation –SABIC
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Honeywell Inc.
Internationally, KFU has formed several strategic alliances with selected scientific organizations. In this respect, 37 agreements have been signed. KFU's international linkages include educational and scientific institutions in countries such as USA, Canada, England, Ireland Netherlands, Austria, Turkey, Japan, Brazil, Spain, China, Australia and Jordan. KFU's international partnerships include such universities as.
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Yale University – USA
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University of Toronto – Canada
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University of Southampton – England
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Royal College of Surgeons - Ireland
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University of Groningen – Netherlands
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University of Granada – Spain
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Technical University of Graz – Austria
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Istanbul University – Turkey
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Lanzhou University – China
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Monash University – Australia
Future Outlook:
The royal decree to turn Dammam campus into the new independent Dammam University have created a new reality before KFU. This new reality have posed new challenges as well as furnished new opportunities to the university. For this reason and beginning 2010, KFU has reshaped its vision and mission and sought to build a new strategic plan to cater for the new situation. The new strategic plane (2010 – 2015) presents the following vision for the university:
To be among outstanding universities recognized for community engagement through excellence in education, research, and leadership
The university's new mission is:
To serve our community with excellent teaching and learning, relevant and respected research, lifelong opportunities, effective and efficient administration, leadership service and development, and community engagement for mutual enrichment.
For five years to come, KFU will capitalize on its resources and unique opportunities to realize this vision and accomplish its mission. Among the opportunities available to KFU are:
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The unique geographical location of the university.
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The national, regional, and global socio-economic opportunities and priorities.
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The wider community of national higher education development and initiatives.
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The wider community of national higher education development and initiatives.
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The accumulative resources of scientists and well equipped academic, research and training facilities.
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The wide network of active interaction and partnership with local and international societal, academic, research and development, business, and industry organizations and other authorities.
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The well established heritage of the university in service to the community
Through its dedication to serve the community, KFU will, more specifically, strive to accomplish the following goals and objective:
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Goal 1: Excellence in learning and teaching
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Demonstration of all the graduate attributes by one graduating class and those who follow
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High levels of customer satisfaction with the total student experience
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High quality faculty with evidence-based competence in teaching, research, university and community service
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Achievement of national accreditation in the area of education excellence
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Increasing numbers of programs achieving national and international accreditation
Goal 2: Relevant and respected research
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Increasing numbers of research projects focused on solving community problems
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Increasing collaborations with community partners in research and development
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High numbers of research projects achieving international excellence awards
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Achievement of national accreditation in the area of research excellence
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High numbers of publications in scholarly journals and in conference proceedings
Goal 3: Lifelong learning opportunities
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A system of graduated diplomas and degrees that promotes variety in student participation
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A robust continuing professional development program for the major professions and industries in the community
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An innovative and responsive distance education system serving 50,000 learners with formal and non- formal opportunities
Goal 4: Effective and efficient administration
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Evidence –based assurance of quality in all system elements
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An evidence-based reputation for excellence
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Deliberate and monitored implementation of the university's strategic plan
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Consensus-based 3 year operational plans with annual reports
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KPIs for each department with annual achievement reports
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Transparent financial plans, budgets and audited reports linked to the strategic plan
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A full set of integrated policies and practices for all elements of the system
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A performance-based assessment system tied to the strategic plan
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Fair treatment of all –male and female faculty, male and female student, Saudi and non-Saudi employees, urban and rural students, on-site and online students
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Recruitment and compensation practices that ensure faculty excellence
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A human capital management system that develops excellence in all university staff
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Achievement of national accreditation based on administrative excellence
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Goal 5: Leadership service and development
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Increasing numbers of graduates recognized for leadership in their communities
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Increasing numbers of faculty prepared with skills to be university leaders
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Increasing numbers of faculty working on community projects as leaders
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Increasing numbers of university projects contributing to community leadership.
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Achievement of excellence awards, nationally and internationally, for community leadership by the university.
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Excellence awards for leadership in teaching and learning, research, life long learning and community engagement.
Goal 6: Community engagement for mutual enrichment
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An active alumni service learning program engaging students with community
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A solid program serving schools to achieving high quality incoming students
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Community members serving on advisory committees for all programs
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An eBusiness development and support program for women entrepreneurs
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Regular community consultations and needs assessment activities
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New initiatives development in partnership with local industries
With its vision for the future, KFU has entered a new era of development and modernization in its educational and research programs and outputs. The university will continue its efforts to make giant leaps into the world of excellence and quality performance to help reinforce vision and strategies adopted by the Kingdom for its top academic institutions to secure its long-term development plans through which the Kingdom strives to transfer into a community of knowledge, reinforce its knowledge- based economy, and progress with its social and developmental establishments, in public and private sectors, to levels of excellence that guarantee its regional leadership and international competitiveness
For Communication and Further Information:
King Faisal University
P.O. Box 400
Hofuf, 31982
Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
Tel: 03-5800000
Fax: 03-5801243
Web-site: www.kfu.edu.sa
E-mail:cooperation.department@kfu.edu.sa