After the approval of His Excellency the University President, Professor Dr. Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Hamid, for the new formation of the College of Engineering Advisory Council, the college organized the fourth meeting of the council, chaired by His Excellency the Dean of the College, Dr. Raed bin Abdullah Al-Yousef, on Wednesday, 13 Rajab 1440 AH, corresponding to March 20, 2019, at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel in Riyadh. This event was organized in response to the demands for constructive change, a desire to achieve excellence and innovation, and to align with the current and future directions of Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University. The college believes in the necessity of involving the community in shaping its policies, setting its strategies, and determining the quality of its outputs, which are expected to contribute, by God's will, to achieving the goals and strategies of comprehensive national development in the Kingdom in line with Vision 2030.
The meeting provided a significant opportunity for the academic leadership of the college to meet with the distinguished members of the advisory council, who are experienced academicians and engineers from government and private sector institutions and companies with recognized reputations in the engineering disciplines offered by the college.
The meeting began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Qur'an, followed by the opening remarks of Dr. Raed Al-Yousef, who welcomed the advisory council members and highlighted the college's key achievements. He emphasized the pivotal role of the advisory council in shaping the college's future and strategic direction. He also invited all council members to visit the college to learn about its educational and research environment and development plans, welcoming direct cooperation, both personally and institutionally, for the benefit of the college's students, particularly in relation to providing opportunities for field training, graduation project ideas, and offering specialized short courses.
Then, Dr. Bandar bin Abdulrahman Al-Zahrani, the Vice Dean for Graduate Studies, Development, and Quality, presented a historical overview of the advisory council and its tasks, which primarily involve contributing to the formulation and review of the college's mission, goals, and programs, as well as assisting in setting the college's strategic plan. The floor was then opened for interventions by the council members, which were insightful and rich, reflecting their extensive experience and knowledge in discussing topics related to the engineering field, both academically and professionally.
After a break for dinner prayer, the discussions continued with more interventions from the members, followed by separate meetings between the program representatives of the college and the council members of the same specialization. Topics related to the program's curriculum, goals, outcomes, and the characteristics of distinguished graduates, as well as the skills that need to be acquired during their studies, were addressed.
At the end of the meeting, the Dean of the College thanked everyone for their attendance and participation, followed by a photo session. The evening concluded with a dinner shared by all attendees at the hotel.
