منطقة الجوف-جامعة الجوف

The President of Jouf University, Prof. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Shaya, reviewed the University’s key achievements and institutional development journey during the weekly citizens’ session of His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Al-Jouf Region. The presentation highlighted the progress the University has made in implementing its strategic objectives, advancing its academic, research, and administrative systems, strengthening its local and international presence, and expanding its community and developmental impact.

The presentation outlined the University’s journey in translating strategic objectives into tangible and high-impact achievements through a set of interconnected areas, including quality and academic accreditation, international rankings, institutional and student awards, scientific research and innovation, community service, and volunteering. Together, these areas reflect a progressive and sustainable model of institutional development built on the quality of outcomes, research competitiveness, operational efficiency, and the growing impact of the University across the community and the region.

In the area of quality and academic accreditation, the University President highlighted the significant progress made in building an integrated quality assurance system. The University has achieved 100% program accreditation for all its bachelor’s degree programs, while 17 academic programs have received international accreditation. The University has also completed the requirements for institutional accreditation, while 42 University entities have obtained ISO 9001 certification for quality management systems. The University’s national and international accreditation framework spans five specialized accrediting bodies, reflecting its commitment to enhancing the quality of its academic programs and outcomes and aligning them with national and international standards.

The presentation also highlighted the University’s growing presence in international rankings. Jouf University was ranked in the 651–700 band globally in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and in the 901–950 band in the QS World University Rankings. It has also strengthened its presence in Arab and subject-specific rankings and is now represented across 30 academic subjects and fields in global rankings, reflecting the breadth of its academic and research excellence, its growing international reputation, and its increasing competitiveness.

The University President also reviewed a number of national and international institutional awards achieved by the University, including recognition in higher education, scientific research, social responsibility, and volunteering. Among these achievements was first place in the Zairi International Award for Excellence in Higher Education in the Research Impact category. The University’s “Purple Saturday” initiative was also selected as the Best Event among more than 300 entries. In addition, the University was honored for its excellence in social responsibility and for establishing its Volunteer Work Center in accordance with the “Edama” standard.

Student achievements featured prominently in the presentation. The University President highlighted the successes of Jouf University students at national and international events, most notably their achievement of 19 international medals at invention exhibitions, including 10 medals at the International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada (iCAN), five medals at the International Exhibition of Inventions in China (IEI), and four medals at the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva.

Students also achieved leading positions and awards in innovation, artificial intelligence, and sports competitions, including an Asian gold medal in karate, a bronze medal at the World University Combat Sports Championships, and first place in the Hajj Security and Safety Hackathon. In addition, the University’s scouts earned 69 awards for their contributions to serving pilgrims.

The presentation also addressed the University’s expansion of academic programs and educational opportunities, contributing to greater flexibility in the learning experience and enhancing graduates’ readiness for the labor market. The University has also expanded its postgraduate offerings, which now comprise 29 programs, while introducing a number of specialized master’s, doctoral, and higher diploma programs in fields including physical therapy, toxicology, clinical laboratory sciences, chemistry, nonprofit organization management, and other disciplines designed to respond to scientific, professional, and developmental needs.

In scientific research and innovation, the University President reviewed the growth in both the volume and quality of scientific output, with the number of published research papers reaching 2,248. He also highlighted the University’s efforts to increase its presence in high-impact journals and strengthen its research competitiveness.

The presentation further addressed the growth of the University’s innovation and intellectual property ecosystem, including locally and internationally registered innovations and patents. It also highlighted the inclusion of Jouf University researchers among the world’s top 2% of scientists, as well as the University’s support for entrepreneurial projects and its efforts to transform research and innovative ideas into outputs with scientific and developmental value.

The University President also reviewed the University’s research chairs, including the Prince Nawaf bin Abdulaziz Chair for Sustainable Development, the Chair for Public Health and Disease Prevention Research, and the Chair for Advanced Technologies in Sustainable Energy. These research chairs strengthen the University’s role in directing scientific research toward sustainable development, health, energy, environmental issues, the knowledge economy, and community service.

In the area of healthcare services and community impact, the presentation highlighted the broad range of services provided by the University to the community. More than 67,000 beneficiaries have received healthcare services, in addition to more than 15,000 beneficiaries of dental services. The University also operates 26 specialized consultation clinics, reflecting its role in leveraging its healthcare and academic capabilities to serve the community and expand access to specialized services.

The University President also highlighted the continued growth of the University’s social responsibility and volunteering ecosystem, which has contributed to increasing community participation and maximizing the University’s developmental impact. The University recorded 4,798 volunteering opportunities, engaging 39,663 male and female volunteers and generating more than 496,000 volunteer hours, reflecting the expanding culture of volunteering and the growing contribution of University students and staff to community service.

The presentation further reviewed the University’s efforts to diversify its resources, strengthen financial sustainability, and enhance spending efficiency. The University’s investment portfolio has reached SAR 362 million, while its endowment portfolio stands at SAR 30 million. In addition, 11 spending-efficiency initiatives have been implemented to support resource sustainability and optimize their utilization in line with the University’s future objectives.

With regard to development and infrastructure projects, the University President reviewed five major projects with a combined value exceeding SAR 153 million. These include a solar power generation project, the Preparatory Year Building for female students, infrastructure and public-space development projects serving a number of colleges, the equipping of laboratories for health colleges, and the humanization of the University campus. These projects contribute to enhancing the University environment, improving the quality of services and infrastructure, and supporting sustainability.

The presentation also featured a number of academic, research, and community initiatives currently being implemented by the University. These include introducing an Artificial Intelligence course as a mandatory requirement across all academic programs, the Academic Acceleration Initiative, and the Self-Designed Degrees Initiative. The University is also implementing a range of initiatives to support researchers, applied research, and research partnerships, alongside community and volunteering initiatives aimed at expanding the University’s contribution to society and responding to the needs of Al-Jouf Region.

The achievements presented during the session reflect an integrated institutional journey through which Jouf University has transformed its strategic objectives into measurable accomplishments and tangible indicators. This journey has strengthened the quality of education, research, and innovation, while expanding the University’s contribution to community service and development, demonstrating the integration of its academic, research, institutional, and community roles and the growing impact of the University across its various fields of work.