Message:
Provide research and advisory and training environment of high scientific standards based on community partnership, aimed to enrich theoretical and applied knowledge in various academic disciplines of the university.
Vision:
To be an effective actor in the system research, a tributary of sustainable development, and a suitable environment for the implementation of unprecedented research projects within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as to ensure the achievement of the university's leadership in the areas of specialization.
Program Management:
The Research Chairs Program at the University Council is manages by a council named "the Council of Research Chairs" with a duty of supervising the academic , administrative and financial affairs of the research chairs at the university, and assume all the responsibilities required to direct the program to achieve its objectives. The Council consists of the University Rector as Chairman, and the university Vice-rector for Higher Studies and Scientific Research as Vice-Chairman, and with the membership of: Dean of Scientific Research, and Dean of the Institute of Research and Consulting Studies, three professors from the research chairs of the university, and two faculty staff members whom excellence in the field of scientific research, their minimum rank should not be less than Associate Professor, and Executive Director of the Fund of Research Chairs, and Secretary-General of the Research Chairs, who is also the Secretary of the Council.
The Council of Research Chairs Program will be subdivided into two main units that shall carry out the functions of academic, administrative and financial tasks of the council, and these units are:
1- General Secretariat of the Council of Research Chairs: Supervised by the Secretary-General of the Council who shall prepare the agenda of the Council, and follow up the implementation of its resolutions and lift his recommendations, and oversee the financial and administrative affairs of the Research Chairs.
2- Research Chairs Fund: A fund shall be financially and administratively managed-separated. The amounts of the fund available to be invested in the expenses of research chairs. And the exchange of its revenues on activities and programs of these chairs. The Fund is administered by an Executive Director.
Members of the Research Chairs Program’s Council:
The Council of University Research Chairs Program is consisting of, in accordance with the decision of the University Rector
No. (1), dated 13/6/1429 H:
1. H.E. Prof. Dr. Suliman bin Abdullah Aba Al-Khail, the University Rector, Chairman.
2. Vice-rector for Higher Studies and Scientific Research, Dr. Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Khalaf, Vice-Chairman. 3
3. Dr. Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman Ash-Shethry, Vice-rector, and Associate Professor at Fundamentals of Religion College, Member.
4. Dean of Academic Research and the Secretary-General of the Council of Research Chairs Program, Dr. Fahd bin Abdulaziz, Al-Askar, Member.
5. Dean of the Institute of Research and Consulting services, Dr. Nasser bin Abdulaziz, Al-Khuraif, Member.
6. Prof. Dr. Yusuf Al-Saied, Professor of Princess Al-Anood bint Abdulaziz for the studies of Creed and Contemporary Islamic Schools of Thoughts, Member.
7. Prof. Dr. Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Asiri, Professor of Prince Naif Chair for the Study of National Unity, Member.
8. Dr. Abdullah Mohammed Al Rifai, Professor of Al-Jazirah Newspaper Chair for New Media Studies, Member.
9. Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Suhaibani, Associate Professor at Economics and Administrative Sciences College, Member.
10. Executive Director of Research Chairs Fund, Mr. Abdullah Mohammed Jerdan, Member.
Organizational structure of the Research Chairs Program
Why Research Chairs?
The idea behind the academic research chairs laid on a partnership between academic institution and a person or someone outside the university to support and develop a scientific specialty, so as to secure the necessary funding , while the academic institution create a research environment that necessary for the success of the chair, along with overseeing the implementation of its functions and maintaining to achieve its objectives.
Almost all the research literature in the history of science agree that, the emergence of scientific research chairs with its modernized concept is stretched back to the beginnings of the European Renaissance era, where the rulers and nobles in England were offered a valued cash prizes to those who succeed in achieving a distinguished scientific achievement and then evolved to become a permanent resource to fund universities and research institutions in most countries of the world, and then converted to the status of scientific rank assigned to the outstanding scientific contributions of those who have high-quality research in their field.
But this assertion of England’s primacy in this concept stems from the tendency of "Western Centralization", which reduced the world's history in European history ancient and modern, and thus abolish the experiences of former nations and civilizations, including the Islamic civilization which was full of models of a great partnership community in support of science and knowledge, in the forefront of them Religious Endowments, which was the most important resources for education in Islamic history and the most versatile as there were many aspects of endowment and its fields as to the multiple objectives of each educational institution; there was ((Al-Kutaab) – the kind of classical education for the kids before entering the organizational stage of modern education- for memorizing the Holy Quran and learning the basics of the Islamic religion; and there is Al-Masjid-ul-Jama;(the big mosque) for more versatile and in-depth Islamic studies; and there are school or college for more specialized and specific studies, which required full boarding at the school; and there was Bimarestan (Hospital) to receive medical sciences; and the Observatories to receiving an education in astronomy and other educational institutions which were highlighted by the needs of the mass and supported financially by multiple Endowments revenues.
At the same vein, the caliphs and princes, ministers and some elders and wealthy characters in the Islamic capitals and cities were also offered valuable prizes for each of the distinct scientific projects whether in the aspects of authorship, translation, explanations and summaries and so on.
Throughout its glorious history, our precious homeland has known many of superintendent models of the societal support for science and scientists, whether through endowments or through donations, grants, and awards, especially in major cities and interested scientific capitals such as Holy Makkah and Medina, and in addition to Al-Ehsa and Diriyah and Riyadh and Jizan, and others.
But the academic research chairs in its modern sense did not appear until recently because there was no system of Saudi universities allowed to accept donations or gifts from foreign foundations, and therefore Saudi research chairs have firstly established at a number of Arab capitals and European countries such as: King Fahd Research Chair for Islamic Studies at the University of London, and Prince Sultan Research Chair for Islamic and Arabic Studies at the University of Berkeley, California, USA, and Prince Naif Research Chair for Teaching Arabic Language and Islamic Studies at the University of Moscow, Russia.
And, after the issuance of the unified Regulation of Saudi Universities in Saudi Arabia, which included allowing universities to provide additional sources of financing, way has given more flexible to offer programs of scientific chairs in the Saudi universities. Al-Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University has in the forefront of universities that have worked to make this idea in its clear vision, and within specific regulatory framework, where H.E. the university rector had directed to form a committee headed by the Vice-rector for Higher Studies and Scientific Research for the preparation of regulations for the chairs of scientific research in the University; the said committee has studied carefully the international and local experiences in this area, and then issued the regulation governing the research chairs at the university which approved by the University Council in its resolution No. (1995 / 1428 -1429 H), adopted at the fourth regular meeting of the Council of the University in the academic year of 1428-1429 H, held on 17/2/1429 H. The said regulation has clearly defined in its terms the research chairs as academic units forming at the university with the target to create the research, advisory and training environment that necessary for the growth of the scientific specialist, and to be funded from sources outside the budget of the University, with a full administrative and financial flexibility.