Dr. Najwa Samarqandi, the Deputy Director of the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, used both scientific innovation tools and Manga art techniques during the discussions on the problems of the university system to develop solutions for them. This was within the “At the Innovation Table” program that was launched by the UQU Vice President for Female Student Affairs, Dr. Sarah Al-Khuli, with the participation of an elite group of faculty members and employees. The program aimed to build a culture of creativity and innovation, and realize the objectives of the university by creating a dynamic innovative environment, as well as improving the services and programs offered by UQU.

The first session discussed the elevator traffic problem through identifying wrong practices, and demonstrating the causes of the problem for the committee members to propose appropriate solutions and devise appealing methods to encourage people to use the stairs instead. The session also addressed the problem of noise in the corridors, being a serious problem impeding the continuation of the educational process and distracting the students.

Dr. Najwa explained that the program, in its periodic sessions, examined the key problems of the university environment using innovative tools to address such issues. This is with a focus on both the individuals concerned and the outcomes, filtering the proposed solutions through direct electronic voting, and translating the proposed ideas into Manga drawings to facilitate the selection of the final outcome and ensure its appropriateness for the solution, provided that the solutions are applicable within a short period of time and at a low cost. The Manga drawings will be displayed at the closing ceremony of the program.

The Director of the Institute of Innovation urged the students and employees of UQU to participate with the committee in the process of overcoming the challenges in the university environment and upgrading its services in various fields by proposing innovative solutions, according to their specializations and the needs of the targeted group. Moreover, she encouraged them to send their proposed solutions to the following link: (https://uqu.edu.sa/iei/App/Forms/Show/15054), to be able to join the future program sessions.

On her part, Dr. Danya Qari, Assistant Professor at the Department of Biology, stressed that her contribution in the program helped her rediscover her passion for Japanese Manga art, translating the outputs of the suggested ideas into expressive anecdotal drawings. Moreover, she pointed out that Manga drawings help clarify the problem for the committee members in the discussion session, and enable them to arrive at apt solutions, emphasizing its educational nature that is appealing to the targeted groups and makes it easier to communicate the needed information in rather indirect ways, compared to written phrases.