President of Umm Al-Qura University Dr. Bakri bin M’atooq bin Bakri Assas inaugurated on Monday Jumada Al-Oula 23, 1438 H the annual forum of major selection for the students of the preparatory year at King Abdul-Aziz Historical Hall at the University Campus in Abdiya. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the UQU Vice President for Educational Affairs Dr. Abdul-Aziz bin Rashad Al-Sorouji, deans of the support deanships and colleges involved in the preparatory year program and their vice deans.   
 
After initiating the ceremony with Quranic recitation, the Dean of the Preparatory Year Dr. Saad bin Saeed Al-Ghamdi delivered address in which he extended his thanks and appreciation to the UQU President for sponsoring this forum which intended to pave the way for the students to select the proper major, indicating that the strategic objectives of the Ministry of Education as stated in the national transformation program 2020 and the Kingdom Vision 2030 confirms the importance of boosting capability of the educational system to meet the development and labor market requirements, honing skills of youth and taking advantages of their skills. He pointed out that the deanship of preparatory year harnessed all its potentials to serve its male and female students by providing the academic courses together with the student activities in accordance with the quality and excellence standards.    
 

Within the same vein, he lauded the support attached to the Deanship of the preparatory year by the UQU President Dr. Bakri Assas and continuoi8s follow up of the UQU Vice President for Educational Affairs, Dr. Abdul-Aziz bin Rashad Al-Sorouji and their honorable sponsorship and attendance in all its activities and events.

 
After that, the UQU Vice President for Educational Affairs Dr. Abdul-Aziz Al-Sorouji delivered a speech explaining that the forum provides a good opportunity for students to enquire about all their needs. He then directed his speech to the students urging them to have great expectations and to look forward to their promising future to work as physicians, engineers or managers. “Today you are students, however, tomorrow you will be faculty members”, he expounded.
 

Concluding his speech Dr. Al-Sorouji extended thanks and appreciation to the UQU President Dr. Bakri Assas for sponsoring this forum and for his unremitting support provided for whatever lessening obstacles facing students of the preparatory year meanwhile extending his thanks to the academic and administrative leaders at the deanship of the preparatory year. 
 

For his part, the UQU President Dr. Bakri Assas addressed the audience saying that this forum is a natural extension and practical application of university slogan of (student comes first) so as for the senior management and all the officials to undertake their duties in this regard in line with the noble patronage and generous support provided to the university by the government of the Custodian of the Tow Holy Mosques under the leadership of King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud, the Crown Prince and the Deputy Crown Prince and the close follow-up of the Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Emir of Makkah Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, in addition to the keenness and attention paid to the university by the Minister of Education Dr. Ahmed bin Mohamed Al-Iesa. 
 

Then the forum events started with various training courses, inspiring success stories, lectures on how to select the major and define students’ streams, automatic placement, and major selection procedures after passing the preparatory year besides the meeting of the students with the deans of the colleges involved in the program of the preparatory year.