Dr. Alan Goodridge

RIYADH, 24 July 2007 — Alfaisal University has signed a three-way agreement with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) to conduct research in water, biotechnology and other areas of interest to the Kingdom.

Dr. Alan Goodridge, acting president of Alfaisal University, said the university has also concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MIT on an open courseware system. This would enable the university to conduct onsite and distance learning programs for Saudis and expatriate students to pursue higher education in science, medicine, business technology and engineering.

The university, which will become operational in Sept. 2008 and which will be located on the grounds of the King Faisal Palace in the Al Ma’ather District of Riyadh, is currently enrolling students. One of the highlights of the university complex will be the King Faisal Museum detailing the life and works of the late king. The university will also comprise a conference center, a library and a mosque. A hall of residence and sports facilities are also planned for the future.

Pointing out that Alfaisal University is a Saudi university with a Western approach, Dr. Goodridge said, “We are private and not for profit, which is an unusual kind of organization in this part of the world. We also want to be a research university and to meet international standards.”

He said the university would follow a problem-based, student-oriented approach as opposed to the teacher being the focus of the learning process. “Our students will be taught to develop team skills in a high technology environment, both in their learning and in their professional lives,” he said.

To this end, the university is collaborating with a number of institutes, including the Harvard Medical International. He explained that the university has also forged relationships with individual faculties at the University of Cambridge and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

“We have four colleges with an enrollment capacity of 4,000 students, although we shall start small and then work up. These four colleges are business, engineering, science and general studies, and finally medicine colleges. Most of our courses are based on a four-year program, except medicine, which will be of six-year duration, including a one-year internship,” said Dr. Goodridge.

In addition to international collaborations, the university is pursuing to develop local collaborations. Besides the one with KACST, another agreement will be made with the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center (KFSH & RC), which will act as a teaching hospital and provide financial support. “We have also signed an agreement with the Security Forces Hospital for clinical teaching,” he said.

Dr. Goodridge said they also have a number of multinational co-founders, like Boeing, British Aerospace, United Technologies and Thales, which have handed SR10 million each. Collaborators within the Kingdom include Dallah Al-Baraka, the Al-Jomaih Group, Saudi Oger and Saudi Binladin.

Speaking about fees, Dr. Goodridge said, “We shall be charging a substantial fee, but part of it will be plowed back into the system by way of scholarships for meritorious students. Most of the students for September 2008 will come from the University Preparatory Program (UPP), but for September 09, there will be some direct admission if the students meet our criteria.”

Dr. Goodridge said students might also do collaborative research with Boeing, Saudi Telecom or with other multinational and national companies in the Kingdom. Most of the areas of research that have been chosen are those that are of interest to the Kingdom. They will focus on areas like water and water reclamation. Other areas of research include technology aspects in the engineering area (aerospace), materials science, petrochemicals, biotechnology, and clinical research and community-based research.

Alfaisal University students will be eligible for scholarships from the Ministry of Higher Education and from the King Faisal Foundation as well as private individuals. As much as 50 percent of the tuition fee will be covered by scholarships. “We shall admit both national and international students. Of those admitted to the UPP so far, a significant number are international students, mainly from the Middle East. The majority are Saudi students...About 150 applications have been received so far,” Dr. Goodridge said.