On behalf of King Abdullah, Minister of Higher Education Khaled Al-Anqari opened a higher education conference in Riyadh, which is being attended by about 5,000 young men and women from different state-owned universities and private institutions.
Speaking on this occasion, Al-Anqari said, “King Abdullah had committed to inculcate leadership skills among students and prepare them for challenges ahead. There is an urgent need for developing true leadership skills among students, prepare them especially for the community and the nation at large, while encouraging them to participate in civic engagements and social works.
“King Abdullah believes that education is the key to development, and the real investment should be in human capital... The role of universities is not just to award certificates and licenses for jobs and works, but to boost human development. We live in an increasingly competitive world and tomorrow’s leaders must develop skills in all areas to effectively compete in a society, where there is cut-throat competition.”
“It’s undeniable that they will succeed their elders as leaders in government as well as in business and industry in the near future,” said chairman of the conference’s executive committee Ali Al-Anazi.
More than SR1 million in prizes, both in cash and kind, await the winners, Al-Anazi added.
Prizes will be handed over to students, who are pursuing higher education and who will demonstrate excellence in basic sciences including engineering, health sciences and related disciplines.
The conference stands out as the first event of its kind hosted by the Ministry of Higher Education.
The universities have encouraged their students to take part in the conference and organize different events on the sidelines of the conference.
“Over 5,000 university students from 33 public and private universities from all over the Kingdom are participating in the event,” said Abdulrahman N. Hamodah, a spokesman of the conference.
