UQU President Dr. Bakri bin Ma'tooq Assas inaugurated on Thursday, 29/1/1439H the 10th meeting of deans of nursing colleges at Saudi universities, which was hosted by the UQU Nursing College. The meeting was attended by the head of the Nursing College Deans Committee at Saudi universities, Dr Farhan bin Faleh Al Shemri and Dean of UQU Nursing College Dr Ayman Jawaherji and deans of nursing colleges at Saudi universities.

UQU President Dr. Bakri Assad welcomed the participating deans during his speech at the opening session of the meeting. He underlined the importance of the role of nursing colleges as a unique specification that serves all sects of the society. He pointed to the UQU keenness on hosting the meeting to discuss the major challenges facing the educational process in the nursing colleges and departments at Saudi universities and the latest developments of advancing the nursing profession.

He highlighted the care and attention given by Saudi rulers under the leadership of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his Crown Prince to health colleges at Saudi universities, particularly the nursing colleges, which contributed in the unique shift in the health sector and expansion in building hospitals and public and specialized health facilities, which reflect the care given by the government to health care and prevention

UQU President Dr. Bakri Assas said the Kingdom Vision 2030 is based on three strategic pillars (vital society - prosperous economy - ambitious homeland). He explained that the pillar of vital society tackles the health side of the Saudi individual by seeking to achieve the best benefit of health facilities in improving the quality of health services of both the preventive or therapeutic sides, the innovative method for boosting the level and quality of health services and improving the efficiency, effectiveness and productivity at all service levels.

UQU President pointed out that the 5th strategic goal of the Health Ministry plan for National Transformation 2020 stipulates increasing the attraction of work in nursing and assisting medical categories as a favored professional option, which refers to the rise in the number of nursing colleges in the kingdom that provides nursing bachelors for boys and girls.

He said "This is why the Nursing Deans Committee comes to take care of planning for the academic and professional future of nursing in the Kingdom, upgrading and developing the profession, exchanging expertise between Saudi universities and contributing in achieving the Kingdom Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Plan 2020". He wished luck and success for all to produce recommendations that serve the homeland and the citizen.

For his part, the head of the Nursing Deans Committee Dr Farhan bin Faleh Al Shemari said the 10th meeting is considered one of the consultative meetings that the Education Ministry is keen on holding regularly for exchanging expertise between nursing deans at universities. He said the meeting will discuss important issues related to the future of nursing and the role of universities in graduating high quality cadres and national professional efficiencies in the field of nursing.

Dean of the UQU Nursing College Dr. Ayman Jawaherji said the meeting aims to boost aspects of cooperation between nursing colleges and departments at Saudi universities in a way that positively serves its products and scientific and educational programs for students. He said the 10th meeting tackles many aspects related to drafting strategic plans for nursing colleges and how to serve their educational process, providing scientific efficiencies to enhance their products in this vital field and providing a high quality health care in addition to having the committee make regular reviews in seek of local and international accreditation. He voiced hope that the meeting will produce recommendations that meet the aspired-for goals.

Deans of Nursing Colleges had reviewed the record of the previous session and its recommendations. They also discussed during two consecutive sessions the latest developments of the registration test and classification of bachelor graduates as well as cooperation between nursing colleges and the Education Ministry in implementing agreements with foreign universities with a view to developing nursing programs and facilitating scholarship procedures. Attendees also discussed an assessment of scholarship and major programs and scholarship countries to define those distinguished in the nursing field in addition to challenges facing nursing colleges regarding the practical training as well as the national meeting to discuss the future of health majors and subsequent works of the committee. The deans proposed holding the 11the meeting of the committee at the Nursing College in King Faisal University in Al Ahsa.