The participation of the Chair in the Third Forum for Academic Chairs in the Kingdom

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Chair for Makkah Historical Studies participated in the third forum for academic chairs that was organized by King Saud University on Monday and Tuesday, Rajab 12-13, 1435H. The chair was represented at Umm Al-Qurah University pavilion at the forum, where the chair was introduced and brochures were distributed to the visitors. HRH Prince Turki Bin Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, Prince of Al-Riyadh area, opened the third forum, and then paid a visit to the exhibition where he was introduced to the academic chair by the Chair Supervisor.

In addition, the General Supervisor on King Salman bin Abdulaziz Chair for Makkah Historical Studies, Dr. Abdullah Bin Hussein Al-Sharief, participated with a paper entitled “The experience of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Chair for Makkah Historical Studies” which included introduction to the chair and its objectives, programs, research projects and cultural events. The paper also tackled the interest of HRH Prince Salman Bin Abdulaziz in the cultural and historical aspects, and the support provided to the chair from the Ministry of Higher Education; especially Dr. Khaled Bin Muhammad Al-Antari, the support and follow-up of the UQU President, Dr. Bakri Bin Maatouq Assas, and the collaboration and partnership of the leadership of King Abdulaziz, especially from Dr. Fahd Bin Abdullah Al-Samari. Furthermore, the Chair Supervisor addressed the scientific importance of the academic chairs, the obstacles they encounter, and their motivators. Then he came up with the following recommendations for developing these chairs:

1. Review the policies, financial and administrative procedures, and regulations so as to facilitate and speed them up to suit the chairs’ time-bound; which ranges from three to five years, and help in achieving their objectives.

2. Encourage researchers to actively participate in the chairs to benefit from their knowledge and experience.
3. “I believe that the main purpose of the academic chairs is scientific research. Therefore, I recommend limiting the academic chairs’ work to scientific research in one specified topic. Because the variety of programs of the chair decreases its quality and competitive advantage, and scuttles the efforts of its management. On a different note, I see that the exaggerated interest in the cultural events, in spite of their outputs at the media, awareness and educational levels, they separate between the chair and its main mission which is conducting deep scientific research. They also reduce research productivity, as they consume time, effort and large amounts of money from the chair’s budget.” Said the Chair Supervisor.
4. “I think it is necessary to appoint Chair Professor, due to the importance of his role as leader and guide in the specialized chairs generally, and in the fields of medical and applied sciences specifically. However, as for the humanities, the fields of their chairs are open and diversified, and hence the Chair Professor cannot lead the research alone. Therefore, it would be enough to have the Chair Supervisor, along with the researchers in different fields, and this would save a lot from the chair’s budget, and reallocate these savings to be spent on the scientific research.” Stated the Chair Supervisor.
5. Transform chairs that have permanent goals to permanent chairs, in order to help them achieve their goals and maintain the sustainability of their impact.
6. “I recommend creating permanent teaching chairs at Al-Masjid Al-Haram, Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi, and other big mosques, in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, and the General Presidency for Al-Masjid Al Haram and Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi. Each of these chairs would be specialized in one specific field, and would be run by 1 professor from our biggest scientists and no more than 3 professors alternately. The first course would be the “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Chair for Quranic Recitation in Al-Masjid Al-Haram”, while the second would be the “Crown Prince Chair for Hadith in Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi”, and then the rest of the mosques.” Said the Chair Supervisor.

Concluding, the Chair Supervisor said, “I’d like to say that I’m honored to be supervising this chair that combined two great symbols: the religious symbol, Makkah Al-Mukarramah, and the national symbol, King Salman Abdulaziz.”