A Research Chair in Soil Engineering Research at King Saud University

His Excellency the University Rector and Businessman Abdullah Baqshan Sign a contract to finance

His Excellency the University Rector, Professor Abdullah Ibn Abdurrahman Al Othman, signed in his office yesterday afternoon a five- million-riyal contract with Businessman Engineer Abdullah Ibn Ahmad Baqshan to finance A Research Chair in Soil Engineering Research over a period of three years.

Upon this occasion His Excellency the University Rector expressed his gratitude to Sheikh Abdullah Baqshan for his generous support for the university saying to “Al Riyadh” Newspaper that Engineer Abdullah Al Baqshan is the first businessman from among many who support research chairs to sign such a contract at the individual level.  Dr Al Othman pointed out that the implementation of this program comes in the context of the guidelines set forth by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince to promote scientific research.  Dr Al Othman emphasized that such is the trend to be adopted by the university in the years to come to finance scientific research chairs.  It was the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques who first started such a financing operation by donating twelve million riyals for research on Nano technology, in addition to the ample support offered by the Crown Prince for research chairs specialized in water research.

Dr Al Othman added that the current program is one of the main instruments that would help realize the prospective vision for the university, emphasizing the latter’s need to keep up with the on-going progress in this endeavor and to establish effective partnership with the private sector.  In this context a work team has been formed to ensure communication with international research centers in addition to the recent joining of Dr Mounir Naifah to King Abdullah’s Institute for Research and Consultative Studies within the university as a part-time world expert.  Al Othman announced the dispatching of a national team to research centers worldwide to benefit from the expertise of other nations in scientific research.  Dr Al Othman pointed out that the university enjoys an estimated national wealth of 3000 experts and 100 graduate students and that it is still open for further requests for the support of research chairs.  He also emphasized that the university would devote some of its on-campus ground for the construction of research and development centers in order to achieve its scientific and research goals.  Dr Al Othman promised the instant launching of a support operation for a chair in soil research and appointed at the head of the project Dr Muslih Al Shamrani along with three world experts and some graduate students.  Al Othman took the opportunity to commend the generous support of businessman Abdullah Al Baqshan in this endeavor pointing out that such a support reflects if anything the latter’s high esteem for scientific research and his true belief in its importance.

From his part businessman Sheikh Abdullah Al Baqshan expressed his gratification and enchantment at being the first to support scientific research chairs at King Saud University in response to the latter’s appeal to that effect.  Such a response goes to prove his high esteem for scientific research and development.  Al Baqshan added that he had previously been engaged in providing support in one of the research domains at King Fahad University for Petroleum and Minerals.  He also expressed his support for the government’s efforts in this respect and his hope that companies and establishments in the private sector will contribute both practical and material assistance to promote scientific research in all Saudi Universities.  Businessman Al Baqshan finally thanked the university for such a remarkable initiative.