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Studies: Introduction The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques is witnessing nowadays a comprehensive development in all social and economical aspects. In this context, the higher education system plays a central role towards fulfilling the human resources needs of this developmental operation through rendering scientifically qualified graduates with high-quality technical skills, and after all relying on Islamic high values. Higher education in Saudi Arabia - as in other similar educational systems- faces various challenges such as, academic excellence, high levels of demand, and the capability of its establishments to cope with the ever-increasing population growth rate and the demographic distribution. The system is also challenged with issues that deal with the effectiveness of partnership among its organizations with other private sector establishments in the areas of research and development. The efficiency of the systems’ establishments towards their coordination with scientific research and technical development issues presented by the effect of globalization should also be scrutinized. Moreover, the system’s ability to cope with global influence on education principles, and its satisfaction towards the job market needs are also considered as effective challenges. The Ministry of Higher Education has actually launched an initiative to prepare a modern and ambitious long-term plan for university education. Hence, the country will be able to fulfill all complicated challenges via following a long-term strategic plan method that relies on a scientific and balanced method in order to come out with scientific and objective results. The approach implemented to execute this vital project includes two essential outlooks: First: Theoretical outlook, and all related aspects such as literature survey, and identifying related international experiences. Second: Practical outlook, which relies on executing a set of studies aiming at generating documented scientific outcomes, giving practical recommendations with the required quantity for all aspects of the plan. Therefore, the availability of sufficient, accurate, and high-quality information is considered to be a primary basic procedure that all the other procedures of executing the project will rely on. A set of technical studies will be conducted under the umbrella of this national project. These studies are expected to come out with scientific and objective results needed to develop the conclusions and essential recommendations needed for the future plan. In addition, these results are needed in executing the plan’s aspects in all the domains of the higher education system in the Kingdom. Other studies implemented in this project focus on the tracks that compose the higher education system. These tracks will include the technical and critical concerns that affect the education system.
The main objective of the project is to promote the efficiency and effectiveness of the higher education system in Saudi Arabia, through the preparation of an ambitious, futuristic, practical, and long-term plan (for 25 years) that identifies vision, value, standards for performance measurements, and resource requirements. It additionally aims to improve adequate utilization of human and financial resources; and encouraging universities to allocate more resources for community service. This plan should include all detailed aims, objectives, and required strategies for the future of the development sector for the coming 25 years. The project is also geared to produce a detailed implementation plan for higher education for the first 5 years and should propose a mechanism for institutions of higher education for sustainable continued planning and implementation of strategic and operational plans.
A. Track studies Executing the works of preparing a strategic plan for university education in the Kingdom postulates studying the tracks comprising the higher education system in order to cover the various issues related to and affecting the system The purpose of that is to figure out the scientific and objectives outcomes required to develop the essential conclusions and recommendations for setting up the strategy, and establishing performance evaluation criteria. All of these fundamentals are required to execute the aspects of the long-term plan in all studied domains of the higher education system in the Kingdom. These tracks comprise conducting a number of evaluative studies on the issues facing the higher education in reference to previous studies administered by the Ministry of Higher Education. This task has been organized in eight main tracks, namely:
B. Specialized studies Executing the long-term strategic project plan of university education in the Kingdom determines performing a number of specialized studies that cover various technical aspects as well as issues that have an effect on the higher education system. That will enable figuring out the scientific and objective outcomes required to develop the essential conclusions and recommendations for the setting up strategy, and establishing performance evaluation criteria. Hence, the long-term plan's aspects in all domains of the higher education system in the Kingdom will be achieved and executed. The evaluative studies comprise four specialized studies, namely:
C. Professional Sectors Studies The project of preparing the long-term strategic plan for university education in the Kingdom determines studying the various specialized sectors for the higher education system. That will enable figuring out the scientific and objective outcomes required to develop the essential conclusions and recommendations for setting up the strategy, and establishing performance evaluation criteria. All are required to cover the long-term plan's aspects in all domains of the higher education system in the Kingdom. The evaluative studies comprise five specialized sectors, which are:
By executing these studies, it is expected to reach the scientific and objective outcomes required to develop the results and essential recommendations for the strategy, and performance evaluation criteria in order to cover the long-term plan's aspects in all domains in the higher education system in the Kingdom. |