JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has approved a number of new faculties and departments at various universities. The newly approved departments include a revamped department of communication skills at the College of Literature and Human sciences in King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, and a teaching techniques department at the College of Education in King Khaled University, Abha. Higher Education Minister Khaled Al-Anqari, in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency on Saturday, added that royal approval had been issued to establish new research centers at other universities.

They include the Pharmacology Sciences Research Center at the Institute of Scientific Research for Revival of Islamic Heritage at the Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, and a Population Studies Center at the College of Literature in the King Saud University, Riyadh. Other research centers will be established at the King Khaled and Najran universities.

The Council also approved setting up a faculty for e-learning and distance education at King Faisal University, Dammam. The information technology center in King Faisal University will also be converted into a faculty, the minister said.