RIYADH: King Saud University has conferred an honorary doctorate on Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah in appreciation for his services to the development of higher education and research in the Kingdom, Minister of Higher Education Khaled Al-Anqari, said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency.
“King Abdullah has been giving special attention to the development of higher education which has resulted in outstanding achievements. The king took steps to take higher education to 75 administrative divisions in the Kingdom with nine new universities in addition to expanding the existing universities. The king financed research centers in nanotechnology and set up new university cities and the King Abdullah University for Science and Technology in addition to approving a program for sending students in large numbers to foreign universities for higher studies. He also encouraged researchers and inventors with awards and medals,” Al-Anqari said when he announced the conferring of the doctorate on the king. The minister also thanked King Abdullah for his acceptance of the honorary degree.
The king approved a nanotechnology center to be established at Taiba University in Madinah in addition to another nanotechnology center to be attached to King Saud University. During the last four years the number of government universities in the Kingdom has risen from eight to 20.
More than 5,000 students will be sent abroad for higher studies, especially for masters and doctoral courses and fellowships in the fourth phase of the King Abdullah Scholarship Program. More than 40,000 Saudi students are currently pursuing higher studies at universities and institutes in Europe, America, China, Japan, Sing-apore and South Korea.
On the occasion, Rector of King Saud Univ-ersity Abdullah Al-Othman also highlighted the service of the king in promoting higher education in the country.
“In appreciation of the tremendous achievements made by King Abdullah in the field of higher education and invoking the terms of Article 20/5 of the Statutes of Higher Education and Universities, the Council of King Saud University decided to confer a honorary doctorate upon him in its 10th meeting held in June,” Al-Othman said. The rector expressed the hope that the king’s acceptance of the doctorate would strengthen the university’s role in building a knowledge-based economy for the country.
