Introduction
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its institutions place great importance on gifted individuals, considering them a national wealth that requires care and development to achieve excellence and distinction. From this standpoint, the Kingdom has been keen to support this group by enacting legislation and policies that enhance their development, as Saudi Vision 2030 has confirmed the importance of caring for gifted students at all stages of education.

In this context, educational institutions strive to provide advanced enrichment programs aimed at enhancing the creative abilities of gifted students and supporting their scientific aspirations. Jouf University has continuously developed its curricula and educational plans to improve the quality of education. It has also succeeded in aligning its efforts with Saudi Vision 2030 in the fields of scientific research and academic development, which has contributed to qualifying outstanding national competencies capable of competing in the local and international labor market. In confirmation of this approach, the University gives special attention to attracting gifted, creative, and innovative students, with the aim of improving the quality of academic outputs and enhancing its reputation locally and internationally. The University adopts innovative initiatives to support this distinguished group and provide the care necessary to motivate them to create and innovate.

Terms and Definitions

• Giftedness: An exceptional ability a person is born with, enabling them to excel in a particular field, influenced by upbringing and the surrounding environment that enhances it. It includes high performance in achievements or potential abilities in areas such as general intelligence, academic readiness, creative thinking, leadership, arts, and psychomotor skills.
• Creativity: The ability to present something new and unfamiliar, expressed through unconventional ideas not previously existing, which the creator develops by thinking outside the box. Creativity is a fundamental step toward innovation.
• Innovation: The ability of individuals to create new ideas or transform ideas into tangible reality using unconventional methods, which distinguishes the implementation of these ideas in a unique and innovative manner.
• Excellence: The individual’s outstanding ability to achieve high grades compared to peers at the same level and to demonstrate exceptional skill in performing and efficiently completing academic activities.
• Gifted Students: Students who possess exceptional abilities in cognitive, performance, artistic, or creative fields, proven through talent measurement tools approved by the University.
• Attracting Gifted Students: The process of identifying and attracting outstanding students in various fields, whether they have achieved recognized awards or demonstrated unique capabilities and innovations, with the aim of providing supportive environments to develop and invest in their abilities.
• Gifted Programs: Specialized programs aimed at identifying gifted students, nominating and classifying them according to their distinctive abilities and talents, then providing the necessary support to develop their abilities and nurture their talents using scientific tools, with a focus on enhancing their creative and innovative thinking, problem-solving, and leadership and social skills.

Foundations and Principles of Supporting Gifted Students

1. Responding to national directions and Saudi Vision 2030 and its various programs.
2. The regulatory frameworks for higher education and the Ministry of Education’s future directions.
3. The University’s Strategic Plan 2021–2025.
4. Global trends in attracting and supporting gifted students and their impact on the future pathways of support programs.
5. Developing human capacities.
6. Raising the efficiency of educational outputs.

Objectives of the Gifted Student Support Policy

1. Build an integrated and unique system for identifying and supporting gifted students at the University.
2. Prepare a creative generation of gifted students to become future scholars in all fields.
3. Create a university environment that encourages creativity, talent, and innovation.
4. Provide gifted students with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop their talents.
5. Develop the practical skills of gifted students.
6. Provide social, psychological, and professional support for gifted students.
7. Spread a culture of creativity and giftedness at the University.
8. Enhance the positive impact resulting from the innovations of gifted and outstanding University students.
9. Build local and international partnerships in supporting and assisting gifted students.

Expected Impact

1. Improve the creative and innovative thinking abilities of gifted and outstanding students, contributing to raising academic and professional performance levels.
2. Support students in producing scientific research, inventions, and innovative projects that contribute to progress in various fields.
3. Enhance the University’s reputation as a center for innovation and academic excellence, thereby increasing its attractiveness to gifted students and amplifying its impact in the local and international academic community.
4. Transform student innovations into practical solutions that contribute to societal development in fields such as technology, health, economy, and arts.
5. Enable gifted students to obtain advanced job opportunities in specialized sectors thanks to their exceptional skills and achievements.
6. Encourage students to turn their ideas into innovative entrepreneurial projects, contributing to the development of an entrepreneurial environment inside and outside the University.

Categories of Gifted Students at the University

• First Category: Students identified during general education and enrolled in gifted support programs before joining the University.
• Second Category: Gifted students at the University who were not identified before joining it, requiring efforts to discover and identify them to enable them to receive support similar to students classified as gifted during general education.
• Third Category: Students who have won international awards or have scientific contributions such as books, poetry, stories, scientific research, inventions, or research articles, or exceptional performance achievements such as media, journalistic writing, sports, painting, artistic designs, documentary films, and others. They can be considered creative models that enrich the academic and cultural community.

Entities Involved in Supporting Gifted Students at the University

1. Vice-Rectorate for Educational Affairs.
2. Deanship of Admission and Registration.
3. Deanship of Student Affairs.
4. Colleges.

Policy
Jouf University seeks to provide a comprehensive and integrated system for supporting gifted students aimed at identifying talents, developing them, and enabling them to achieve academic, research, and innovative excellence; by providing an inspiring academic environment and integrated programs that enhance their creative abilities and support their future aspirations. The University ensures equal opportunities for all students to discover and develop their talents. The University adopts advanced mechanisms to identify gifted students in various fields, including periodic assessments, participation in competitions and creative activities, and collaboration with faculty members to identify students with outstanding potential. The University also aims to build local and international partnerships to support these efforts and broaden the horizons of gifted students.

Jouf University aims to provide full support to gifted students through specially designed programs to develop their skills and enhance their capabilities. This includes providing specialized academic supervision, scholarships, training opportunities, financial and moral support, and support for participation in international conferences and programs. The University ensures the continuity of the programs and services provided to support gifted students and attaches great importance to the continuous evaluation of these programs to ensure their effectiveness and develop them to meet the needs of exceptional students, believing that investing in talent is an investment in the nation’s future. The University also focuses on everything that supports providing integrated growth opportunities for gifted students, enabling them to achieve academic and innovative excellence in their various fields.

Policy Procedures

1. The Deanship of Admission and Registration builds effective partnerships with specialized entities to provide various programs aimed at supporting gifted students and enhancing their capabilities.
2. Admission criteria for gifted student recruitment programs are based on special abilities and exceptional talents in diverse non-academic fields, in addition to high academic achievement in tests.
3. The Deanship of Admission and Registration, in cooperation with relevant entities, establishes an electronic portal dedicated to recruiting gifted high school graduates. Students must enter their qualifications and certificates proving their talent, in addition to the scores they achieved on the “Mawhiba” multiple cognitive abilities test. Deadlines and admission requirements are determined.
4. The Deanship of Admission and Registration compiles data on students who scored outstanding marks (95–100) in the General Aptitude Test and Achievement Test across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, or who have received awards or achieved high rankings in specialized local and international tests, and contacts these students to inform them of study opportunities at the University according to their academic interests and desired programs.
5. The Deanship of Admission and Registration forms a committee in cooperation with relevant University entities to review student lists and determine those who meet the criteria, verifying the alignment of their talents with the academic programs they wish to join. Recommendations are then submitted to the authorized official for direct admission into the desired academic programs.
6. The Deanship of Student Affairs, in coordination with the colleges, organizes events and competitions aimed at discovering gifted students in various fields and supporting student activities such as cultural, artistic, and scientific clubs that encourage students to develop their talents.
7. The Psychological Counseling and Social Support Unit at the Deanship of Student Affairs, through academic advisors, identifies gifted students within the University by activating psychological counseling sessions as a tool to discover students’ interests and inclinations, helping to identify gifted students in academic, creative, or artistic fields, and following up on their progress periodically to identify challenges and address them.
8. Colleges are responsible for identifying outstanding students studying within them who show distinctive abilities or exceptional talents in areas such as innovation, scientific research, or creative activities, and submitting their names to the competent authority within the University for continuous follow-up, support, and guidance.
9. Colleges create a supportive environment for adopting talents, innovations, and creativity by promoting a culture of innovation and creativity among students and faculty members.
10. The Vice-Rectorate for Educational Affairs, in coordination with the Deanship of Admission and Registration, determines gifted student recruitment programs that can be offered within the University, which may include:
    • Advanced Placement: This program aims to attract high-achieving high school students by directly enabling them in the colleges they desire and exempting them from studying some courses under specified conditions.
    • Academic Acceleration: This program is one of the strategic pillars in supporting and caring for gifted students, aiming to enable them to advance in their educational pathways based on their abilities, allowing them to complete their academic requirements in a shorter time than usual.
    • Introductory and Advanced Enrichment Programs: These programs aim to support outstanding students at the University by providing them with educational opportunities and distinctive experiences that enhance their skills and capabilities.
    • Scientific Research Programs: These programs aim to provide gifted students with opportunities to participate in advanced research projects under academic supervision.

Descriptive Data Model

Approved by the Authorized Official,
Vice-Rector for Educational Affairs

Dr. Alaa bin Saleh Al-Arjan