Opinion

Dar Al-Hekma students excel in an impressive research forum

March 10, 2018
Dar Al-Hekma students excel in an impressive research forum

Samar Fatany



OVER 76 bright students presented 32 research papers during the research Forum held at Dar Al-Hekma University on March 4. All the topics presented were up to date and impressive, however, due to limited space I can only share a few of them.

The young researchers had a good command of the English language and they delivered their presentations with great confidence and eloquence. It was obvious that they have researched their subjects well and based their conclusions upon proper scientific methodologies. Some students conducted their research individually and others showed great enthusiasm working as a group.

Sawsan AlGhamdi, Hajer Qadh, Malak Ghazzaw, Najd Binobaid, Tahani Alamoudi presented a paper about “The New Decree of Allowing Women to Drive and The Different Marketing Strategies Used in the Automobile Industry in Saudi Arabia”. It was a very timely research highlighting the impact of women driving upon society. The paper was supervised by Dr. Inass Ali.

Today, there is an urgency to ensure quality in our higher education for society's own interest. When young adults are encouraged to read and research prevalent topics, debate current issues, and search archival work, they can grow to be contributing citizens.

“The impact of mental health on marriage”, presented by Amal Azhar and supervised by Dr. Lama Taher, was equally thought-provoking. She explored marriage and mental health issues and ways to maintain a happy marriage. The student explained why some married women become depressed and concluded her presentation by offering various solutions for many married women who suffer from depression in our society today.

"Female Judges from Shariah Point of View”, presented by Alya Abdulnasser Alhussinii, and supervised by Dr. Samah Alagha, and “What are the differences between US and KSA Law in Penalties, Investigation, and Evidence” by researcher Muneera Al-Ezzi Sawami and supervised by Ms. Rana Maamari, are two legal topics that included different viewpoints and new perspectives with analytical thinking.

There were also various researches that involved innovative ideas. “The Arab association of speech language Pathology” was an innovative research to build support for Arab speech pathologists. Forat Sindi, Aamna Ali, Hana Suleiman, Hind Alahmadi thought of creating an association of Arab speech pathologists. They discussed a plan to launch an online network that can support pathologists who are in dire need to boost their profession in the Arab world. The students demonstrated very commendable teamwork effort and presented their ambitious project with great enthusiasm.

“ASHA’s Code of Ethics translated in Arabic for Arab speech language Pathologists” was presented by Rana Alghamdi on behalf of her class. The students put great effort into translating the full code into Arabic. Rana explained how the project could be of great value to Arab speech specialists who have to rely on the English text due to the unavailability of an Arabic one.

The discussions and analyses of the different topics related to the real world made the sessions very interesting. Also, the way the students investigated the problems, provided explanations, generated ideas, analyzed data, and came to conclusions with appropriate solutions showed the level of academic excellence provided by highly qualified teachers and a progressive University.

Applying such international standards in our academic institutions is necessary to produce global citizens and graduates with high qualifications for the job market. Our academic institutions today are required to build a generation that is at par with global leaders of industry. There is an urgency to promote the global citizen within Saudi society and help our graduates be part of the international community.

Critical thinking should be at the forefront of our teaching methods. Social scientists assert that students who take part in research programs become more confident as learners and are more capable of thinking independently. They maintain that in order to increase student performance and enhance their motivation to learn, academic institutions need to encourage discussion, collaboration, problem solving, and promote cognitive processes. These academic tools can give students the opportunity to be successful and help them overcome challenges they may face in the real world. The approach allows students to learn through creative thinking and break through thinking barriers in order to achieve unique, 21st century learning skills.

The research center in Dar Al-Hekma is headed by assistant professor Dr. Raja Pini Kemppainen, director of a scientific research center in Finland. Dr. Pini is also the head of the curriculum development committee. She has played a significant role in developing the research and scientific methodologies within the curriculum.

Dar Al Hekma students are known to be high achievers. They are considered among the better qualified university graduates in the Kingdom. Vision 2030 will be more achievable with such quality education and empowered youth.

For Vision 2030 to succeed, promoting women’s education is also very critical. Enhancing the leadership skills of girls, making them aware of their responsibilities and encouraging them to reach their potential are paramount.


March 10, 2018
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