Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU) represented by the Deanship of Community Service & Sustainable Development has signed 27 cooperation agreements with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Eastern Province to provide research and knowledge services under the auspices of the President of the University Dr.Abdulla Bin Muhammad Al-Rubaish, the Director of the Ministry of Human Resources Branch in the Eastern Province Abdel Rahman Al-Moqbel, the Chairman of NGOs councils in the Kingdom Dr.Sa'doun Al-Sa'doun, the Dean of Community Service & Sustainable Development Prof.Fatmah Bint Abdulla Al-Melhem, and the Vice-Dean of Community Service & Sustainable Development Dr.Youssef Al-Rashid.
"Building upon its forward-looking vision, the Kingdom pays great attention to building a vital and prosperous charitable sector that effectively contributes to the prosperity and development of the Kingdom, hence the Kingdom has laid down supporting and enhancing policies and procedures so that the non-profit sector could contribute to and participate side by side in the development plans. Through such useful partnerships which reflect solidarity and cooperation among various Saudi civil society associations and assist categories of society that need such support, the university seeks to provide knowledge and research services within effective societal partnership being an integral part of the university's tasks and strategic plans. Such agreements represent a landmark in strengthening cooperation and exchanging expertise and resources in order to build the required integration to achieve mutual prosperity and well-being for our society. The university works on integrating the roles of its academic and administrative units to instill the values of social responsibility in its students preparing them to be good citizens who are able to carry on the social responsibility towards their society and effective participants in accelerating development according to expectations and aspirations of the rulers, may Allah bless them" the president of the university stated.
Dr.Al-Rubaish has highly appreciated the efforts of His Royal Highness Prince Saud Bin Naif Bin Abdel Aziz, Prince of the Eastern Province in embodying and supporting all efforts and initiatives that the university provides to improve and expand its services to promote the development plans that the country witnesses under its wise leadership; he further expresses his appreciation to the icon of community work, the leader in social responsibility in the Eastern Province Her Royal Highness Princess Abeer Bint Faisal Bin Turki, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Eastern Province Council for Social Responsibility for her continuous support to the University's efforts and programs and events organized to enhance society's quality of life.
Director of the Ministry of Human Resources Branch in the Eastern Province Abdel Rahman Al-Moqbel asserted that such agreements are a framework for social and developmental work that the Ministry of Human Resources & Social Development does, through its partnership with all sectors, pushing the non-profit sector forward through working together and hence this underlines partnership with IAU through Deanship of Community Service & Sustainable Development and working in parallel with what the deanship provides which in turn reflects that both the ministry and the university are concerned with this sector as such agreements will result in many great benefits that support the voluntary work course between such agencies and the university appreciating the university's efforts represented by its president Dr.Abdulla Al-Rubaish and Dr.Fatmah Al-Melhem and all members of the deanship.
Prof. Dr.Fatmah Al-Melhem, Dean of Community Service & Sustainable Development affirmed that such a step comes in harmony with the requirements of the national transformation program and objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 in emphasizing the developmental impact of the non-profit sector and its sustainability in order to create a vital strong society and a responsible citizen and further reflects the university's belief in that NGOs are able, throughout their charitable history, to be in touch with the society's needs.
We, at present, consider such agreements as crowning of systematic dialogue including constant coordination between the university and representatives of charitable work to make use of this cooperation and solidarity in enhancing our institutional capabilities and finding out ways to overcome challenges that take into account present and upcoming generations' needs through giving constant opportunities to support and care about initiatives and developmental projects and contribute with the university to promoting concepts of social responsibility based upon the principle of employing available capabilities, whether scientific, knowledge, material or human, of the concerned parties in order to provide leading community services that achieve the desired objectives as the university is considered a scientific and academic platform having several educational and community contributions and having many capabilities and human cadres and further seeks to raise awareness and enhance the spirit of national responsibility and care about whatever would serve community and push all society segments forward, she added.
Dr.Youssef Al-Rashid stated that most important provisions of community partnership agreements stipulating mutual cooperation to spread and enhance culture of voluntary work and promote values of national cohesion and community responsibility concerning field of maternity and childhood and mutual cooperation to recruit specialized cadres from the university to conduct environmental and survey studies for the associations in field of finding out the sustainable developmental housing solutions and contribute to improving quality of life in society; to cooperate in areas such as providing humanitarian programs and services to all categories of people with disabilities of all age groups to enable them to be fully integrated and participate in society to implement equalization of opportunities; to cooperate in field of providing services to people with autism disorder and their families and to cooperate in providing innovative and purposeful programs that meet society's needs and achieve the country's vision through employing volunteers in order to optimize programs that care about all individuals of society with professional educational and creative methods.
