The Official Dar Al-Hekma Magazine Volume 4,

There is something to be said about the power of writing. The essence of human relations, expression can make or break liaisons, spread or obscure truth and ultimately enhance or hinder our quality of life. In his essay, politics and the English language: why I write, George Orwell places language on a pedestal, championing its ability to change the world through simplicity and transparency.

And so I make this humble attempt at introducing you to what I hope is insight with strength of expression as its base.

Awareness comes with information and evaluation; one is incomplete without the other. Not only do we have the liberty of documenting achievement and our findings but of taking a step back and look at it holistically. The big picture is the essence of our purpose. Beginning with the end in mind is the key. It is to that end that I hope this issue succeeds in shedding light – the English for noor - on big-picture issues, in a big-picture manner - hekma.

Samar Al-Sayed

Letter from the EditorEditor In-ChiefSamar Al-Sayed Contributing EditorsMariam GardMaha Nour ElahiSamina Mushtaq

Senior Arabic EditorDr. Saida Shehab TranslationKholoud Al-HaddadMaha Nour Elahi

Graphic DesignerLama Ajeenah PhotographyHeba El-Dada

Noor Al-Hekma is the official Dar Al-Hekma magazine produced by the Department of Marketing and Communications at the Institutional Advancement Division. In addition to publishing news and views relevant to the College, Noor Al-Hekma aims to place local issues in a global context.

Features Lessons Learned from Royal Initiative

The Royal visit of the King and Queen of Sweden has established new heights of credibility for the global scouting movement.

Saudi women and the future of the Shura Council

The recent decision by the Legislative Council to allow women to vote has far-reaching ramifications.

The TEDx Phenomenon

Dubbed the official platform for new ideas, TEDx has gained momentum across the globe.

The Age of Social Entrepreneurship

The realm of social responsibility has gained considerable momentum in the Kingdom over the past decade thanks to individuals, organizations and higher education institutions that have liaised with international associations.

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ContentsLetter from the Editor

Volunteerism

The Art Auction for Humanity

The Rise of Comedy

From Sponsorship to Sustainability

The DAH Trip to Germany

Prize Winners

Research Committee: Achievements & Aspirations

The Model United Nations Conference

Iqraa Ummah

The 2011 Graduation

Career Prospects

The First Law Forum

Ifath Nawwaz: The Association of Muslim

Lawyers

Haya Khalifa: The Arabian Ambassador

International Exhibition for Higher Education

Hekma School of Business

Staff Profiles:

DAH Receives Saudization Award

A Final Word

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Iffath Sultana, Mona Haddad andRuba Omari

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This is a big indicator of the value that can be reaped from philanthropy and volunteerism by the act of goodwill.’On this note ended the speech of the president of Dar Al-Hekma as she participated in the ‘Al-Ghad Forum’ in Riyadh. The Forum was devoted to determining the role of institutions in enhancing awareness of volunteerism amongst youth. The Forum was sponsored by His Royal Highness Prince Salman Bin Abdulaziz, of the Riyadh region.The Dean had commenced the session by addressing the audience on the social responsibility of business men and the need for their commitment to sustainable development through business activity and increased

awareness amongst employees and their families to better individual living conditions whilst at once benefitting trade and development.The Dean added that in spite of the growing role of civil organizations and businessmen in domain of social responsibility, this initiative still remains in its primary phase as hopes for expansion through cooperation with civil organizations to manipulate existing local resources and manpower materialize.On that note, the Dean highlighted the pivotal role that Dar Al-Hekma plays in helping enhance the role of youth in acts of volunteerism through academic requirement and student activity as a strategic plan for involving students in philanthropic activity.

“Live your life aiding others, for helping others not only benefits society, but also enhances spiritual and psychological well-being and increases morale as has been shown time and time again in scientific studies. It also creates a feeling of hope for a better future.” The Almighty has said that; ‘He who gives by way of goodwill, it is of great benefit to him.”

Entrepreneurship & Volunteerism

The President’s Word onSocial

Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi, President of Dar Al-Hekma College, participated in the first charitable art exhibition launched in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Known for its focus on solving the problems of parentless children from birth till adulthood, Al-Wedad Society organized the event, which included a show-case of 500 portraits in support of orphans stressing on the significance of social work, Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi presented a paper that tackled this core Islamic value that urges individuals to take part in volunteer work. Moreover, Dr. Al-Qurashi talked about the role of Dar Al-Hekma in community service as it is the first educational institution in Saudi Arabia that includes 100 hours of community service as part of the students graduation requirements. Dr. Al-Qurashi also demonstrated some of the social projects, which Dar Al-Hekma students have prepared and executed in campus and outside the college, going beyond traditional contributions to social entrepreneurship such as Naqaa Environmental Project, Invest Project, and Iqraa Umma.

At the end of her speech, Dr. Suhair called for the importance of instilling the love of charity and social work in children in order to bring them upon loving their country and community, which will ensure social stability.

DAH Student Rania Al-Harith initiates the Benefit Arabia Art Auctionfor Humanity

Charity Auction for Al-Wedad Society

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Stand-up comedy is rapidly picking up momentum in the Kingdom as young comedians opt for an unofficial platform to examine social norms. One such act is Badr Saleh, who performed at Dar Al-Hekma on the occasion of the convocation ceremony last October.

Saleh, like any other youngster with an edge to their sense of humor, craved spotlight and sought fame at any price. His big break came when the 25 year old Saudi-born comedian performed in front of a panel, subsequently going on to create and host the YouTube program ‘Eysh Elly’. The program is a parody of social norms that in Badr’s view must be changed or abandoned. It echoes many Western-styled comedic calls for social reform, though of course with a differing context.

Initially subject to poor viewer ratings, Eysh Elly struggled to stay on air, with the youngster struggling for survival. Acceptance of this type of forward and audacious critique did not sit well with an audience accustomed to a certain genre of comedy that does not allow for self-ridicule. Nevertheless, the turning point came at the forth episode of Eysh

Elly where viewership subscriptions and ratings started to increase, eventually leading to the comedy act becoming the third most watched channel on YouTube locally. It was then that the media started taking interest in Saleh, with prominent channels such as Al-Arabiya, Rotana and MBC3 broadcasting excerpts of his performances and interviewing him on the future of comedy and its impact on norms that need reform.

Eysh Elly went on to expand in the Arab world and Saleh started to perform live, where Eysh Elly became a number one hit sensation on YouTube, putting the youngster on the forefront of stand-up comedians in the Kingdom.

Says Saleh:

“I think that the new media is finally giving local comedians the chance to appear and to showcase their talent. Before that there was no platform for new talent to shine but now, this whole movement of the new media is taking over. People are still not fully aware of what standup comedy shows are; we do not echo old traditional comedy that depends on jokes that are often racist. Such skits will vanish and will be replaced by this new smart form of comedy.”

The Rise OfComedy

The ceremony marked at the beginning of the academic year with an attendance of over 1000 students, faculty and staff as well as College Alumni. The ceremony opened with a procession of the College’s faculty and the 10th prospective graduating class of 2012 followed by a welcome note from the College President Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi to HRH Princess Seeta for lending her support to the yearly event. In addition, Dr. Qurashi highlighted the College’s main achievements of the previous academic year and honored 32 students on the Dean’s Honor List in addition to students with outstanding achievements over the course of the last academic year. Dr. Qurashi concluded the ceremony by thanking HRH and by offering special thanks to the Ministry Of Higher Education for their unwavering support of the private higher education sector.

marks new academic year under the Patronage of

Her Royal Highness

Convocation Ceremony

at Dar Al-Hekma

Princess Seeta Bint Abdallah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud

Samar Al-Sayed

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The president of Dar Al-Hekma College, Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi, participated in the second session of the Social Development Forum entitled From Sponsorship to Sustainability; Establishing Partnerships, which was arranged by Majed Society for Social Development and Services under the sponsorship of his royal highness Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Prince of Makkah Al-Mukarama region. The forum was held at Hilton Hotel, Jeddah in summer 2011 and was honored by the presence of his royal highness, Prince

Meshal Ben Majed Ben Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Jeddah and the chairman of the forum. In addition, many prominent society figures, businessmen, and businesswomen from Saudi Arabia and from other countries attended the forum. Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi was one of the speakers in the first session of the forum, which was entitled Education Serving Social Development and revolved around the role of educational institutions as a crucial contributing factor to establishing the concept

of sustainable volunteer work. Dr. Al-Qurashi shed light on the role which university institutions should undertake in order to orient youth with their responsibilities in the community. Educational institutions, especially universities and colleges should also train youth to participate in social services according to a general national strategic plan. Dr. Al-Qurashi added that a charter/treaty of volunteer work ethics must be established along with spreading awareness on the importance of volunteer work, especially that it is an essential part of the moral, patriotic, and religious duty of each individual at all times, and it should not be limited to businessmen and youth during crisis or disasters only. Furthermore, Dr. Al-Qurashi presented an institutional educational example in founding the concept of volunteering and social work, which she had transformed into an obligatory practice where students must finish 100 hours of community service inside and outside the college. This deep-rooted understanding of volunteering was manifested during the Jeddah Flood disaster when DAH students were the

DAH President Participates in the Social Development Forum

From Sponsorship to

Sustainability: Establishing Partnerships

The President of Dar Al-Hekma signs the Memorandum of Understanding Accords with the General Manager of the Society of Majid Bin Abdulaziz for Development and Social Services (Majid Society)

first to participate in helping the victims. Students of DAH have gone further and prepared their own houses to receive some of the victims who had lost their houses. At the end of her speech, Dr. Al-Qurashi gave a PowerPoint presentation displaying DAH students activities in serving the society. It is worth noting that this was not Dr. Al-Qurashi’s first participation in the forum as she was invited by the chairman of the forum, his royal highness Prince Mishal Ben Majed Ben Abdul Aziz to the preparatory workshop on January 26th, 2011 to prepare and discuss the modules of the forum. The workshop discussed the challenges of the developmental condition and examples of activating partnerships and the Ministry of Social Service. The Forum, which is held every two

years, aims at activating the roles of public and private sectors in sustainable social development in various developmental fields. Another objective of the Forum is to build human abilities, enrich experiences, and reach a distinguished level of performance for non-profit sectors through learning from local and international expertise. Also, one of the main objectives of the Forum is to support and promote the three cornerstones of the concept of sustainable development; the society, the environment, and the economy, realizing the effect of research and development in the growth and establishment of partnerships, and understanding the efficiency of the development that is based on thorough and holistic strategic plans and applicable measurable programs. This has resulted in signing a memorandum

of understanding between Dar Al-Hekma College and Majed Society implemented by the Continuing Education Department in the College. According to Mrs. Fatma Bayoumi, Director of the Continuing Education Department, the memorandum translates into having Dar Al-Hekma College as the academic partner of Majed Society in order to train employees who work in charitable organizations and qualify them into being professional development practitioners. Among this training objectives are teaching fund-raising, managing and designing sustainable development programs to serve a wider range of people.

The Forum aims at activating the roles of public and private sectors in sustainable social development in various developmental fields. Another objective of the Forum is to build human abilities, enrich experiences, and reach a distinguished level of performance for non-profit sectors.

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Alaa Al-Mizyen During April of last year, a delegation from Dar Al-Hekma, consisting of students and alumni, accompanied Dr. Suhair Al Qurashi on a diplomatic trip to Germany. Eager and excited, we had all been looking forward to exploring much about the nation that had brought forth cultural icons like Mozart, Apple Strudel, and Mercedes-Benz. Our departure from Jeddah was filled with anticipation; yet, little did we know that our trip would far exceed our expectations and become one of our most cherished travel experiences.

Our first stop was in Berlin where we engaged in a jam-packed schedule of pre-arranged visits to the Saudi embassy, German parliament, Berlin Institute of Technology, think tanks and museums. Berlin truly is a picture-postcard town. The city itself is charming in its unique blend of historical German buildings, lush forests and state-of-the-art skyscrapers. We were welcomed by H.E Dr. Osama Shabokshy, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Germany and had the wonderful opportunity of visiting the Saudi embassy in all its splendor. The building is a beautiful mélange of contemporary Islamic design; it was one of my favorite stops throughout our voyage.

“Berlin truly is a picture-postcard town.”

Dar Al-Hekma Visits Germany

Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi with a member of the alumni.

of contemporary Islamic design; it was one of my favorite stops throughout our voyage.

The highlight of our trip was an invitation to visit one of Germany’s most influential women, minister of state, Dr. Maria Boehmer. She hosted us for lunch where she discussed her role as a leading diplomat and introduced us to Germany’s most recent social, political, and economic developments in addition to asking us to tell her a little bit about ourselves. After lunch she accompanied us on a small tour of the German Chancellery.

Alas, our stop in Berlin was not all work and no play. Between the diplomatic visits and think tank meetings, we posed and took countless pictures with some of the world’s biggest celebrities at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, witnessed Freddy Mercury impersonators and went back in time to explore ancient Islamic art at the Pergamonmuseum. Finally, after an exciting few days of scheduled visits, we took a break from our suits, heels, and all things formal to enjoy our last days in Dusseldorf, Germany’s fashion capital. We indulged in shopping, good food, and refreshing weather before our return back home. All in all, our trip to Germany was one of my favorite travel excursions. Given the chance, I am pretty sure we’d do it all over again.

Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi meets with Dr. Maria Boehmer, Minister of State.

The president with alumnae and students in Berlin, Germany.

The President of Dar Al-Hekma Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi and the students/alumni elected to travel with her to Germany (above right) were welcomed and hosted by the Saudi Ambassador to Germany, Dr. Osama Shobokshi.

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In a completion that is considered the first of its kind, four Dar Al-Hekma students were awarded the first place and won a prize of SR 15000. The interior design contest was part of the Deco Fair, furniture, decoration and home accessories exhibition that opened on November 28 at the Jeddah Center for Forums and Events, targeting fresh graduates to help them promote their ideas and display their talents through their work. The four Dar Al-Hekma winners Ghazal Ka’aki, Radwa Kabli, Nadia Ibrahim, and Jumana Azmarli were part of a group that was formed along with King Abdul Aziz University students, who have presented the winning design of a living room that meets the needs of a Saudi family.

Hia Al-Sindi, the expo organizer, confirmed the event’s success stating that it has attracted more than 10,000 visitors. She also added that around 160 talented young designers participated in the competition, but only 25 were shortlisted for the finals. Winners were voted for, and for the first time in the Kingdom, phone votes were also used with the cooperation of Zain Company. According to Ms. Al-Sindi, the contest was based on the decision of a committee of judges consisting of Engineer Zaki Farsi, Engineer Talal Kurdi, Engineer Mohammad Harasani, and Engineer and international expert, Amy Lam. In addition, part of the decision was made by votes. The whole contest received 7000 votes, 1374 votes went for the winners of the first place, and 1288 votes went for the second place winners. The contest participants were given great support by Mr. Merei Bin Mahfouz, Deputy Chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce, who presented to each participating group SR 5000 from a SR 25000 fund.

Dar Al-Hekma Students Win First Place at Interior Design Competition

Winners in Deco fair.

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Sources and Part 2: Evaluating, Using and Writing about Sources; Quantitative Research Designs; Qualitative Research Designs; Faculty Promotion; and Academic Integrity. “More workshops on intellectual property rights, data collection and data analysis are planned for the next year,” confirms Dr. Khawla Zahran, assistant professor from the General Education Program at DAH and Chair of the Workshop Subcommittee. Other areas the committee is focusing on is the establishment of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) that will review all research conducted by Dar Al- Hekma students, faculty, and staff to insure that such research is being done in compliance with the highest standards of academic integrity. The IRB as proposed will be responsible for reviewing all research in which subjects may participate physically or indirectly through interviews, surveys, or observation and in which investigators conduct historical research by reviewing files or databases.

Dar Al-Hekma College has retained strong teaching functions and has recently been supportive of a stronger research orientation among its members, believing that research activities can support the credibility of the institution and create visibility and prominence that serve to attract highly qualified faculty and students, and additional resources to the college.

In order to help create a culture of research at DAH, the Research Taskforce was established in October 2009. The taskforce was officially transformed into a committee in May 2011. It is composed of representatives from a variety of departments at the College. Dr. Nancy Aarts, Associate Professor in the Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences Program and Chair of the Research Committee explains; “The Research Committee is a body that fosters the development of skilled, ethical and productive investigators able to add meaningfully to their discipline’s body of knowledge. It aims to create and recommend to the institution’s administrative councils research-related policies and procedures for use by faculty, staff, students and non-College personnel. These policies and procedures will be used to ensure that all research conducted by or with personnel and students advances scholarship in the bodies of knowledge encompassed by the institution, uses best practices in research, protects the safety and confidentiality of human subjects, and is ethical.” The Committee recognized that focusing on the faculty’s and staff’s needs was vital to enhance their productivity, so a needs assessment was conducted to determine faculty’s and staff’s past research experience and current research requirements. Based on the results, the Committee developed an ongoing series of research and research-related workshops designed to motivate and educate faculty and staff and support their research activities. To date the Research Committee has given eight well-attended workshops to the College. These workshops were: Research Writing: An Overview, Steps in Research Writing; Literature Review Part 1: Finding

Research Committee:

Achievements and Aspirations

From left: Dr. Inass Ali, Dr. Khawla Zahran, Dr. Nancy Aarts, Ms. Cordula Peters, Dr. Areej Aseeri and Ms. Ayesha Ghazanfar.

In order to collect data for accreditation purposes the Research Committee created two forms: the “Status of Current Research Activities” and “Status of Current Work Product Activities”. Faculty members involved in ongoing research or scholarly work will be asked in the future to fill out one of these two forms, depending on the nature of their undertaking. The forms include a place for faculty and staff to indicate their activities which are examples of research and scholarship, in addition to tasks that are not examples of research or scholarship in and of themselves, but may lead to valuable work. These tasks include searching the literature or other databases; reading, examining and evaluating a selection of sources; organizing, writing and editing a literature review; determining methodological processes; collecting data; applying for external funding; writing and editing a manuscript or presentation; and submitting a work product to a venue for consideration. These different research- and scholarship-related activities were included on the forms “in an attempt to encourage and recognize all the kinds of work done by faculty and staff” explains Dr. Aarts.

Talking about the Committee’s vision for the future, Dr. Aarts reported, “We are hoping to establish a Research Office at the College, develop a mentorship system to support faculty in their research efforts and create a core research curriculum that can be used by research design courses in all DAH programs. In addition, the committee is hoping to develop collaborative agreements with national research institutions, especially among the partnerships already established with well-known universities abroad e.g., Columbia University, Teacher’s College, and the University of California, Berkeley.”Dr. Zahran emphasises that “the development of a research culture at Dar Al-Hekma entails careful planning and ongoing development. Additionally, faculty members need to observe proper time management to be able to function as teachers and researchers. Our aim is to encourage our colleagues to produce high quality research that can be published in local, regional and international journals, presented in conferences, published as academic books or presented as reports.”

Our aim is to encourage our colleagues to produce high quality research that can be published in local, regional and international journals, presented in conferences, published as academic books or presented as reports”

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Her Royal Highness Queen Silvia of Sweden arriving at the Dar Al-Hekma premises.

he recent visit of the King and Queen of Sweden to Saudi Arabia last September was motivated in large part by the mutual initiative of his Majesty King Carl Gustav and His Majesty King Abdullah to witness global progress on the fronts of collaboration and philanthropic initiative. In particular, the reception of the Queen of Sweden at Dar Al-Hekma, marked a new phase for international liaison in the extra-curricular domain.

The King of Sweden, Honorary President of The World Scout Fund, met with Royalty equally keen on linking and mobilizing youth across the globe, as the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques launched his ‘Messengers Of Peace’ Program at the King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST). “The world scout movement plays a significant role in enhancing the skills and capabilities of young men and women as it trains them to depend on themselves and work for changing the world to the better,” said King Carl of the initiative.

Born in Heidelberg, Germany into a multi-ethnic family – her mother being Brazilian – Queen Silvia grew up in both Germany and Latin America and later went on to serve as Deputy Head of Protocol at the 1972 summer Olympics in Austria, where she met the then-prince Gustav of Sweden. In addition to her native languages German and Portuguese, the Queen is also fluent in Spanish, English, Swedish and French and is a trained interpretor.

The official visit of such an all-rounded, international figure to Dar Al-Hekma to witness the progress of all-rounded, aspiring women was an indispensable milestone to the mobilization of local youth in international participation and neatly complimented her husband’s visit to KAUST the evening before. Therein a member of the DAH Alumni who has since gone on to work with the Saudi government and the Organization of Islamic Conference exposed Her Majesty to a presentation highlighting the progress of education in the Kingdom at large and the upward trajectory of women, along with a representative sample of their achievements over the past decade.

So what are the lessons that can be gained from a royal liaison, apolitical and philanthropic in nature? Firstly, cultivating youth to contribute their time and effort into volunteering. Symbolically, it is a great motivating factor to see international liaisons of the type witnessed in order to rally novel minds and ideas to work together without awaiting any sort of immediate gain, financial or otherwise.

In a fast-paced, globalizing world, the profit sector is the front-runner for momentum in achievement of which the reward is mostly monetary, indeed lucrative. Having to consecrate numerous hours to the advancement of careers lessens the clout of voluntary work, which in several scientific studies has been credited with a feeling of greater reward and fulfillment than the act of acquisition.

As such, harboring skills in self-sufficiency and selfless giving amongst youth who have not yet joined the global professional workforce increases the likelihood of their continuity in extra-curricular participation once they embark on the official journey of life where responsibility takes front seat.

Needless to add that exposing local youth and women to the recognition and validation of a progressive European nation such as Sweden increases their sense of involvement on the international front and eliminates the element of distance and culture as a perceived barrier. The Queen in particular, a multi-lingual, German-Brazilian-born professional, is a model for tolerant internationalism. Her outreach to young women is a real tool for inspiration and an indispensable opportunity to build upon.

It is of great expectation, then, that such liaisons and initiatives that provide an official framework for advancement continue to flood the institutions of the Kingdom with the rays of novel and proactive hope.

Lessons Learned From

Royal InitiativeSamar Al-Sayed

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Arwa Bayoumy

The three-day conference, entitled “Shifting Sands: A Wave of Change,” attempted to uncover some of the many dimensions and implications of the Arab Spring by engaging participants in simulated debates, research, resolution writing and group negotiations.

An opening ceremony featuring Dr. Abdullah Nasseif as key note speaker was held at the Prince Bandar bin Sultan Auditorium prior to the conference. The formal ceremony also included speeches by Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi, President of the College, Dr. Chaman Rahim, Assistant Professor and Faculty Advisor to the DAH MUN.

An opening speech was also presented by Nadine Mojadidi, Secretary General of DAH MUN and a Banking & Finance sophomore at DAH. Mojaddadi said; The recent developments in the Arab world were similar to winds shifting sand in the desert, changing the entire desert terrain as old dunes abruptly disappear and new ones take form”.

Prior to the event, delegates were required to attend workshops on how to research and present a country’s perspectives before being assigned a nation. In addition, delegates were asked to join one of three committees: a general assembly, a human rights council or the Security Council.

In the general assembly, students discussed the unrest in several Arab countries ina session entitled “State of Emergency: The situation of Arab States declaring States of Emergency in times of turmoil.” This, while the human rights council engaged students in a debate on the role of social media and the brutality used in some countries against citizens of the popular uprisings. Perhaps the most popular of the councils, however was the simulated Security Council in which students discussed the no-fly zone enforced on Libya and its consequences on the uprising.

Student organizers went to great extent to replicate the real United Nations by including a number of simulated stunts. During a session of the Human Rights Council, a large group of ‘demonstrators’ suddenly appeared outside and chanted

slogans of freedom and peace for the middle east. This was followed by a newsflash aired on the auditorium’s screens, showing the ‘protest’. Similarly, the GA at one point was interrupted with the ‘breaking news’ that two foreign journalists were kidnapped in Libya. While the GA session livened up after a request for a change in the session’s agenda was put forward to discuss the kidnapping, another newsflash was aired in which Gaddafi named his terms of releasing the journalists.

Some of the participating schools and Colleges included Effat College, Dar Al-Fikr, the Indian International School of Jeddah, the Bangladesh International School, Jeddah Knowledge International, Al Falah International School and Al-Hamraa Girls School.

Established in 2007, the Dar Al- HekmaModel United Nations (DAHMUN) aims to provide its participants the chance to discuss world issues, explore the nuances of international relations, meet students from different schools and cultures and experience the thrills and satisfaction of organizing successful events. While the club discuss the latest political news, it also engages in activities to save the environment, celebrate cultural diversity and raise awareness about real global issues.

The Model United Nations Conference (MUN)

Dr. Abdallah Omar Naseef, President of the World Muslim Congress with the Vice Dean of student Affairs Dr. Lamya Gazzaz

In an exciting fun atmosphere Iqraa’ Ummah project, co-sponsored by Helen’s, was launched at Prince Bandar Ben Sultan at Dar Al-Hekma College. The launching ceremony included an orientation of the project and its future activities, and a stand-up comedy performance by Ala Attayer team and Lebanese comedian Rami Salame.

According to the teachings of Islam, reading comes first, hence; a group of Dar Al-Hekma students started up this giant project to promote the habit of reading as it is the first step towards building personality and developing societies.

Why Iqraa’ Ummah? “Reading is not a word nor is it a motto; reading is a lifestyle, a renaissance, a culture, and a nation!” explained the students when asked about the purpose of their initiation. The project promises to arrange annual campaigns and programs launching from Dar Al-Hekma and in accordance with its vision and mission and with one of its core goals; community service. To encourage youth to read, to make

them enthusiastic about reading, to make them enjoy and love reading is certainly not an easy task in the age of technology and distractions, but Iqraa’ Ummah promises to instill the habit of reading in youth in a novel and up-to-the-minute attractive style. The committee of research of Iqraa’ Ummah is in constant search for the latest trends in the field of reading and the most recently published books along with communicating with different local and international reading clubs. Furthermore, the committee of research presents a summary of the most distinguished books, and then these are published in Jeddah Destination.

“Reading is not a word nor is it a motto; reading is a lifestyle, a renaissance, a culture, and a nation!”

Iqraa’ Ummah

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Samar Al-Sayed

The decision taken this last September to allot a yet-to-be-determined number of seats at the ‘Shura’ or consultative legislative council to women is not one to be taken lightly. This was indeed a landmark moment for the female constituents of Saudi society, as they are henceforth to have representatives advocating their voices and concerns on an official platform, something of a dream just a few years back. Symbolically, the progress made on this front in the Kingdom over the years, however many obstacles faced and however long the duration, has nonetheless been momentous - from home-maker to professional and from a member of the workforce to an official member of the socio-political society where she was once non-existent.Such a mutation was met with much excitement and needless to say, ample anticipation. In its capacity as an advisory body, the importance of the Shura Council lies in its manpower

leverage to sway the direction of decision-makers. Granted this is not a decisive body, yet its dialogue-type function is nonetheless appealing to those 150 participants whose voices are heard at the Council of Ministers who are the decision-makers working in liaison with the King. Established in 1993 under the reign of His Majesty King Fahd, the Council has gone from having 60 members to 150 members and joined the Inter-Parliamentary Union, an international organization of the parliaments of sovereign states, in 2003. The Assembly consists of 12 committees, of which social, economic, educational, financial and health to name a few. The decision to afford females the right to seats at the Council will be implemented at the 6th term Council in the year 2014 of the Gregorian calendar.To serve as an example of its function, the implementation of a new health standard requires that the Shura determine duration, coverage and the

“Liaising with the Shura Council and other government bodies that serve the nation shall continue as these institutions align their work with government objectives”

Saudi Women & the Future of the Shura Council

specialists required for the feasibility study, which is in turn endorsed or vetoed by the Council of Ministers after extensive exchange. In a role of sorts, the Shura can be labeled the on-the-ground workforce. For the educated and prominent women who are to join this force, this thus translates to being able to deliver well-informed opinion and vision, bearing in mind nonetheless that limitations of such a subjective panel must be met with an appropriate level of expectation and pragmatism.In light of this historic mutation, Dar Al-Hekma College was the first female institution to host the Deputy Head of the Shura Council Dr. Bandar Al-Hajjar, in addition to Dr. Mohammad Naseef, member of the Council, in two seminars that shed light on the function and activities of the Legislative Council. The event was attended by 1500 students and members of the alumni, in addition to faculty & staff members and women from across the social spectrum.This of course is to be expected from the sole US-accredited female higher education institution and a key player in external relations as headed by Dr. Saleha Abedin, the Advisor to the President for External Relations.It was during this event that the President of Dar Al-Hekma Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi reiterated the position of the College as a front-runner in engagement with such important developments and in particular, expressed her distinct vision to have Dar Al-Hekma graduates become active members in both the Shura Legislative Council and the Municipality. Particularly adamant she was of the participation of 3 Dar Al-Hekma alumnae who have since gone on to acquire PhDs in management information systems, education and architectural engineering from the London School of Economics, the University of Oxford and the University of Sheffield respectively.With regard such domains,

Dr. Qurashi stated that “such specialties are vital in supporting women’s roles in these sectors”, further adding that “liaising with the Shura Council and other government bodies that serve the nation shall continue as these institutions align their work with government objectives”.The educational trajectory has been the first major step in Saudi society to bolster the credibility of female individuals in the market and in society. This may seem an obvious step to take in order to set foot in the professional world, yet trends in the Western world do not necessarily follow this type of hierarchy as many find their way into civil society and the global workforce through experience and civil movements.Owing to the differing social context therefore, the role that education plays in placing women at the forefront of causes such as joining the Shura Council cannot be overstated, and the role of Dar Al-Hekma with governmental bodies shall be inextricably linked for years to come.

The vibrant debate evoked during the interactive session with Dr. Bandar Hajjar (pictured left), Deputy Chairman of the Shura Legislative Council, reflects the front-running position held by the Dar Al-Hekma platform to host high-profile figures.

The Vice Dean for Finance & Administration applauds fellow participants.

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Dar Al-Hekma hosted its Seventh Annual Graduation Ceremony at Prince Bandar Bin Sultan Auditorium. One hundred and sixty seven students were formally presented with degree certificates by Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi, President of Dar Al-Hekma College. Among these were the first graduates of the Legal Studies Program (15 students) and the Autism Track (8 students). The graduates’ intelligence, willingness to learn, and determination to succeed were evident. Not only did these graduates acquire rich academic and practical experience at DAH, but they also significantly contributed to the community of the college and the country as a whole. Some of the distinguished achievements of this year’s graduates included memorizing the Qur’an, completing an incredible number of community service hours, taking part in local and international conferences and workshops, winning national and international competitions, and establishing pioneering projects. However, this ongoing success was not a coincidence. It crowned years of hard

work on their part and careful strategic planning on the part of the college leaders, for the mission of Dar Al- Hekma is to graduate accomplished women, leaders and entrepreneurs who can really make a difference.

The graduation night was a festive one that brought everybody together: graduate students, faculty members, administrators and friends of DAH. Dr. Al-Qurashi’s memorable speech on the occasion epitomised the pride

everybody felt. The president talked about the vision of DAH and what it still has to offer to its graduates. Academic postgraduate degrees in Business Administration, International Relations and Educational Leadership in collaboration with first class universities such as Berkeley, Columbia and Tufts await DAH graduates. Dr. Al-Qurashi made it clear that whatever the college offers and plans for the future will always be in response to the needs of the society.

The evening of 20 June 2011 was unlike any other night. The halls of Dar Al- Hekma buzzed with anticipation and excitement as the graduating students rushed around applying finishing touches to their appearance. It was the night when their professional lives would commence as their college life drew to a close.

The 2011 GraduationDr. Khawla Zahran

The Chairman of Dar Al-Hekma›s Board of Directors Zuhair Fayez gives his opening speech.

The President of Dar Al-Hekma Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi

The graduating students of the schools of graphic and interior design

This is why most of Dar Al-Hekma alumnae are employed in reputable private and public organizations such as The Islamic Development Bank, The Organization of Islamic Conference. The Ministry of Higher Education, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, etc.; others are pursuing further education in renowned institutions including Imperial College, London Business School, King Abdullah University for Science and Technology, and many more. Some graduates have pursued their dreams and have managed to establish their own businesses.

The Graduation Ceremony was also graced by the presence of two distinguished guests. The first was Ifatth Nawaz, the President of The Association of Muslim Lawyers in the UK. Nawaz has been practicing law for more than 20 years in the United Kingdom; her career path provided DAH graduates with a model to emulate. Her Excellency Shaikha Haya Bint Rashed Al Khaleefa inspired the graduates, especially the young and upcoming lawyers who will be the first in Saudi Arabia as the field opens up gradually for women. Being a pioneer lawyer in her country and the first Arab woman appointed as the president of the 61st session of the United Nations General Assembly entitled Shaikha Haya to be this year’s recipient of DAH Award for Outstanding

Contribution and Achievements. Inviting such distinguished personalities was a rare opportunity for our graduates to listen to words of advice and wisdom on their commencement of a new life.

Having tossed their caps, the students happily walked out of the auditorium to more celebration as the night was still young. They left DAH singing the college anthem, which was the perfect way to say good bye to their second home, Dar Al-Hekma.

Dr. Ahmad Zaki Yamani, prominent lawyer and activist

Dr. Zuhair Fayez, Chairman of Dar Al-Hekma and Adnan Al-Kateb, a sponsor of the graduation ceremony, receive recognition for their support from the President of Dar Al-Hekma Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi

Hala Mazrou, a law graduate, and Lubna Nana, an MIS graduate, with their proud fathers.

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“Track to Impact+4,” was the theme at the 2011 Annual Career Fair where 33 organizations gathered at DAH’s atrium to recruit job seekers for some of the 300 job offers available.

In a small formal ceremony held at the Prince Bandar bin Sultan Auditorium, Dean Suhair Al-Qurashi inaugurated the Fair’s opening ceremony and highlighted DAH’s role in preparing graduates that can bring positive change to the work force. “At DAH, we look at advancement as building skills that are not just in the professional arena, but as a more holistic achievement,” she said. Al-Qurashi also mentioned that the Fair came in line with Saudi King Abdullah’s recent call to offer more job opportunities to the Kingdom’s youth.

The inaugural ceremony also bought together four distinct Alumnae who each gave a short 15 minute account of their career success-stories while bringing to light the challenges and opportunities they had faced along the way. Each of the Alumnae’s success stories focused on a different angle or “track” - hence the “+4“ in the theme’s title. The tracks included were the professional track, the academic post-graduate track, the entrepreneurship track, and the social responsibility track. Dr. Lamya Gazzez, Vice Dean of Student Affairs said the Career Fair was a “community event” that gave companies the “chance to meet a large numbers of potential applicants and/or find suitable candidates.” In addition, Heba El-Dada, Alumnae Services officer and one of the event’s organizers, said the Fair gave students

the opportunity to “meet as well as to start networking with a variety of organizations and learn about job and internship opportunities.”

the opportunity to “meet as well as to start networking with a variety of organizations and learn about job and internship opportunities.”

Among the Alumnae speakers, Dina Madani, MIS ’06, shed light on the exciting opportunities she encountered through her job as the first female Saudi women to work in the Minorities department at the Organization of Islamic Conferences (OIC). “How could a Saudi woman monitor the electoral process of a country if she comes from a country that has no elections,” she joked, while describing her experience of monitoring the election processes of Sudan and Kyrgyzstan. Madani advised her fellow alumnae and senior students to maintain good work ethics and embody an organization’s values as a means of succeeding in their careers.

Muna Al-Haddad, SPED ’04, detailed her exciting transformation from DAH student to DAH faculty – a transition that took place after completing her Masters

degree from the University of Northern Texas and Iman Abuljadayel, IDES’04, described the challenging journey of starting up a business. “Whenever I face a problem in a project, I don’t allow myself to be upset for more than 15 minutes,” said Abuljadayel, “…otherwise if I let this one project bring me down, the other 50 I have on the table will also fail,” she went on to explain before highlighting other important lessons learned.

Noura Maghraby, NRSG ’10, recounted her experience of co-founding “Naqaa’a,” an organization that aims to spread awareness and help schools and business adopt “greener” practices. Al-Maghrabi emphasized DAH’s role in shaping this success by relating how the idea for Naqaa’a started from a small class project in her first semester as a CPP student before evolving into a student club and finally turning into a social enterprise.

Nora was not alone. All the alumnae speakers were thankful for DAH’s role in shaping their future. Al-Haddad said she had received a scholarship from DAH to fund her post graduate studies, while Abuljadayel recounted how as an IDES student she was able to interact with business owners and industry professionals well before graduating and establishing her own company. Before concluding her speech, Madani left her fellow alumnae with a final piece of advice: “Give back,” she said, “…give back to your community and give back Dar Al-Hekma; I would love to come back in three years and see you in my place [on stage] here.”

Career Fair300 Job Opportunities await graduates!Arwa Bayoumy

BUPA and Unilever were two of the main sponsors of the 2011 Career Fair.

Dania Yaman, Special Projects Coordinator with the Vice Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Lamya Gazzaz and alumna Iman Abdul Jadayel

It is not surprising to see Dar Al-Hekma’s alumnae pursuing postgraduate learning resulting from the quest for excellence that has been ingrained in them throughout their study at a premier female higher education institution.In 2010, Dar al-Hekma alumna Rawad Sheikh Al-Shabab earned a master’s degree in Computer Science, specializing in HPC (High Performance Computing) from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

In 2008, she was awarded the KAUST Master’s Degree Scholarship from King

Abdullah University of Science and Technology and had the honor of being part of the founding class at KAUST, where she was shortlisted with 360 other students after a screening of more than 16,000 candidates globally. As part of KAUST professional development, Rawad took part in several enriching training programs such as Technology Entrepreneurship by the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Professional Training through Improvisation, Intensive English for Academic Purposes (IEAP), Career Management Skills Series, in addition to Visualization and Computer

Graphics. Furthermore, as part of the KAUST Seed Fund Entrepreneurial Program, she was shortlisted to receive funding of up to $250,000 to develop her winning technology and company that would add a great value to Saudi Arabia and the world.

Prior to joining KAUST, Rawad completed her co-op training in 2009 with EMAAR, The Economic City in the Project Management division, where she demonstrated exceptional ability in setting clear objectives, pulling project plans and ensuring cross-functional inputs.

Rawad Shaikh Al-ShababObtains Masters Degree from KAUST

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Nouf Sultan Aba’alala

The academic year of 2011 was a year of accomplishments and success for the legal studies department. The department was established four years ago and graduated its first batch in June of 2011. The Legal Studies department also launched the first annual law forum on May 15th, 2011.

In spite of the fact that it was the first major event to be organized by the legal studies department, it was a success. Being one of the organizers, I was fortunate to get an insider look at the organizational process. The idea started with Dr. Wahy Luqman, the program director, and was developed

First Law Forum

Dr. Wahy Luqman with law student Badria Modir

by an aspiring young team of TA’s and students. The basic concept of this forum was to give a general introduction of the Saudi legal system. It targeted the public audience as it was for law students and lawyers across the country.

In an official statement about the event, Dr. Luqman said “I noticed a lack of law-related events in Saudi of which the purpose is to educate people about their rights and responsibilities.” For this event, the department put in intensive hours of preparation and the students were more than eager to help. After all, it was their first event, too. The event was a breath of fresh air for every member in the department; it was their chance to prove themselves and to enter a more practical world.

The first speaker was the judge Nasr Bin Abdulrahman Al Yomani, who introduced the basic procedures for filing cases and attending court-hearings. Dr. Bassim Alim was the second speaker, who spoke about Law between Shari’a and Constitution. Dr. Walid Fitaihi of the IMC Hospital spoke of his experience with the Jeddah floods and how the team at IMC handled it. Last but not least, Dr. Badria Al Awadi, a guest from Kuwait, gave an informative lecture about Fair Trial.

The event was the subject of much praise and articles had been published in several newspapers in both Arabic and English. As it was our first ever event and the first of its kind in the Kingdom, the experience of organizing it will only help in perfecting such events in the future.

Dr. Badria Al-Awadi

Judge Nasr bin Abdulrahman Al-Yomni

Dr. Wahy Luqman, Former Legal Studies Program Director

Dr. Waleed Fitaihi, CEO of the International Medical Centre

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It’s a real pleasure to have you with us today. First we would like an introduction about you and about the Association of Muslim Lawyers (AML). I am a solicitor who has been practicing for 20 years in England and I specialize in local government law. The AML for which I was president from 2002 onwards, was founded in 1993 and it was brought about because of the result of what we saw was happening domestically and on the international front that a group of Muslim lawyers got together and decided to use our skills to represent not only Muslim related issues but also all the legal issues in our community. AML was launched in 1995 and it has grown steadily. It’s a voluntary organization and it now got members of around 700, which is all of solicitors, barristers, judges, students and we also have non-muslim members and firms.

Is being a Muslim woman in a judicial office help with the issues of the Muslim Community in Europe? I think the fact that I led the Muslim Lawyers Organization in the UK allowed me to represent the Muslim perspective and the fact that I was a woman I think was also quiet eye-opening for many institutions that I dealt with, quiet often they would always look for, and always address all correspondence to “Mr. Nawaz” because they didn’t expect a woman to lead the organization, but over the years they have got used to me and I think we have done very effective work which has some huge impact in the UK. We are one of the few recognized bodies in the UK by the legal institution and the government. And everyone knows that if AML is involved, if it commits itself to a cause or a project it will deliver to

Iffath Nawaz:Executive Committee Member at the Association of Muslim Lawyers UK

Guest speaker at the 2011 graduation ceremony.

Ifath Nawwaz shakes hands with His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Al-Faisal

the highest standards and that is despite the fact that everyone does so voluntarily. I think being a Muslim woman lawyer has dispelled many myths along the way. I do cover, but I do represent the issues I believe in and I go in with a passion. Do people from outside the Muslim community approach your organization? I’ve noticed you support the issues of minorities whether it’s Muslim or non-Muslim. Yes of course. Its important not to just focus on Muslim issues. When you are looking at human rights and equalities, miscarriages of justice they don’t affect just Muslims, they affect everyone. When I was co chair of Independent Asylum Commission, as a public body we wanted to look at the law of asylum in the UK as it affected everybody. And it’s a fact that the churches and the mosques and everyone was passionate about that. I believe it sent out an important message to everyone that I was chairing with Sir Jon Waite and many people would come up and say how proud they are that we are involved and that we care about what happens to them and it’s not a muslim issue. Yes our focus is quiet a lot of Muslim issues and it has to be because we represent that community in that body, but we share grievances with many others as well. Is the way Muslims being portrayed by western media becoming more positive? Although we are in dialogue with the media, I think the media have played a hugely negative role in the portrayal of Muslims and still does so. There are huge concerns. When the anti-terror aid used to take place they were drawing such a sensationalized manner. The cameras would go in when people were being arrested. It’s an ongoing battle, but Muslims in the UK continue to play a role and I think as a legal organization we were able to influence that.

What about European authorities? Were they supportive of your organization/ decisions in advocating and promoting Human and Muslim rights? You have seen the things happening in Europe. There are a lot of decisions being made which adversely affect Muslims, the banning of the niqab, the banning of minarets. None of that is reflected in England –alhamdu le Allah- and when the ban of the neqab was brought into effect in France one of the major newspapers in the UK said “I do not like the niqab. I don’t believe in the niqab, but I will defend your right to wear it untill the day I die.” I think that’s the difference between the UK and the rest of Europe, it respects others. What do you think of DAH and its students?

I am so impressed by the college and its vision. It has exceeded all expectations and what I am really

pleased about is that it doesn’t end when they graduate. From what I’ve seen and the students I have met they’ve gone on to secure very high profile roles in commercial, government, UN, these kinds of posts. And I think they’re the role models of your future generations and also what is going on here is like a little pearl that’s kept in an oyster, because the world out there needs to know what DAH is doing and change the perception of Muslim women and Saudi women in particular. A final word for the Legal Studies students? Anyone embarking in law is doing it because they want to make a difference. To become a law student gives you the skills and the capacity and the knowledge to go out there and make your mark. And that’s the legacy they should follow.

His Royal Highness Prince Khaled Al-Faisal

Iffath Nawaz

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Coming from the deserts of Arabia and from the depth of the genuine Arabian Gulf culture, Sheikha Haya Al-Khalifa carries the message of love and peace towards the world; a message that conveys the notable international presence of the Arabian woman in general and the Gulf Arabian woman in specific. At the ceremony celebrating the graduation of the ninth batch of Dar Al-Hekma students, Sheikha Haya Al-Khalifa honored Dar Al-Hekma by attending the graduation of the first batch of the Law Department students. The College granted her the Dar Al-Hekma Distinguished Achievements Award in Law. Noor Al-Hekma had the privilege of having this interview with her about her journey to law in the Gulf region and around the world.

“A Bahrani woman.” In simple straightforward words, Sheikha Haya Al-Khalifa sums up her identity with great pride. Her life has always been a series of perseverant actions and struggle. After finishing high school in the early 70’s, she decided to join a Law and Islamic Legislation College when studying law was not acceptable for women, instead women embarked on teaching and few other fields. On the first day of college, she realized she was registered by mistake in the Department of History, and when she asked the professor to transfer her, he was surprised at her choice and warned her: “You cannot be a lawyer! People will say, she’s a woman and we will never hire her!”. But her unwavering will-power to join law school was unstoppable, and it determined her career path along with many other women in her country.

The Ambassador of Arabian Women

Sheikha Haya Al-Khalifa:

The Winner of the

DAH Annual Prize for Outstanding Achievements

For Sheikha Haya Al-Khalifa, studying law was a turning point in her life as it was like a gateway that took her to a whole different world, and now after about 30 years she still perceives it as the best thing she had ever done. And despite the segregation rules at that time, the Dean of Law School was of great support to the ten female students at the department by assuring them that most of them will be either judges, lawyers, governors, presidents or ministers, all of which are certainly to be decision makers. Sheikha Haya remembers the Dean’s golden words to them, “You are me in the future!” and that has always given her a great motivation to pursue her dream and to know how to deal with the knowledge she had gained.

Studying law and moving to live in France have undoubtedly had a remarkable influence on Sheikha Haya. “I have learned logical and objective thinking and how to use legal texts and regulations in a way that fulfills justice, equality, respect for human rights, and flexibility in dealing with various types of people in order to serve the society and improve it.” About her experience in Kuwait, Sheikha Haya explains that she learned how to draw conclusions and to infer rules from given texts and how to make decisions in accordance with the Islamic legislation and for the benefit of Muslims.

Definitely, Sheikha Haya Al-Khalifa had faced many challenges and obstacles, yet the greatest challenge for her was being assigned by the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce in 1967 in Paris as the vice president of the Jury Committee of the Association of Lawyers. Hence, she was the first Arabian woman from the Gulf area to be part of such a committee. In October 1999, the King of Bahrain appointed her as the Ambassador of Bahrain to France and that, she says, was the biggest challenge, for she was the first Arabian Gulf woman to be in such a high

position in Europe. She adds, “I was so pleased with that confidence and trust in me, and I spent five years in France, and during those years I was also a non-resident ambassador to Spain, Belgium, and Switzerland.”Sheikha Haya Al-Khalifa remembers her experience as an ambassador in France and how people there thought at first that her position was merely to serve an image, but after one month she gave a lecture on the status of women in the Arab World, which shocked the audience with information they have never known about. She clarified to them that Arab countries are developed and modern according to the global standard, and that changes have been constant and rapid in the past years. For instance, the French Revolution occurred in 1789 (200 years ago), yet the right to vote was not given to French women until 1946 whilst the Arab countries were born and formed in less than one century without having any connection with the outside world due to the absence of electricity and means of communication at that time. However, the Arab countries were able to keep pace with other countries in a noticeably shorter time and give women effective roles in the society despite that short period. When asked about the challenges and obstacles that Law students might face after graduation, Sheikha Haya said that it is expected to be confronted with different kinds

of difficulties, but everything will be easier after a while and hindrances will be overcome.

Sheikha Haya also expressed her pride at the achievements of Saudi women like Mrs. Mona Khezendar, who was appointed as the director of the Arab World Institute. All that denotes that the status of women in Saudi Arabia is developing into more sensitive positions that make Saudi women more and more involved in decision-making.

At the end of her inspiring speech, Sheikha Haya addressed the graduates, “I will only tell you the same thing that my professor had told me. In this school, we give you the keys, and your job is to know how and when to use those keys, which will lead you to a new world. Therefore, it will be your constant task to continue reading, broaden your knowledge and perspectives, and be always in touch with the law through periodicals, new books and research in the field, and seminars. I personally advise each and every one of you to join the International Association of Lawyers and the International Law Organizations as these will enrich and enhance your experiences.”

Haya Al-Khalifa with His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Al-Faisal.

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Something intriguing about the human quest for self-improvement triggered the birth of an independently organized event back in 1984. The one-off conference was entitled ‘Technology, Entertainment and Design’ (TED), which reflected the embryonic agenda of what is now a lucrative global empire of image and hi-tech prestige. Owned by the Sapling Foundation, a private non-profit organization conceived to ‘foster the spread of great ideas’, TED would rapidly gain momentum as a global seminar of localized outreach, spanning 46 countries.Then came the ‘x’ at the end of its acronym which is meant to emphasize the independent nature of the planned seminars around the world. The idea was to retain a level of individuality where each local seminar has its own itinerary and topics whilst adhering

to the general guidelines set by the headquarters in New York City. Branded a ‘TED-like’ experience by its proponents, topics range from time management to the quest for happiness and from challenging perceptions of common cultural and religious norms to producing a more fruitful working environment.In short, the ‘ideas worth spreading’ that the TEDx umbrella aims to propagate are often of a novel nature and give listeners an inspirational breath of fresh air from daily life in just 18 minutes per speaker. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Sir Richard Branson and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, though many of their speakers are not as prominent, yet have achieved a record numbers of hits on broadcasting websites such as YouTube thanks to the concise transmission of their overall idea. Two major TED events are held each year,

the TED Conference in Long Beach, California every spring (along with a parallel conference, TEDActive, in Palm Springs), and TEDGlobal, which is held each summer in Edinburgh, Scotland.Having a ten-fold increase in the number of online viewers over the past 2 years, the TEDx outreach has reached its pinnacle thanks to its complimentary availability online, in addition to its translation and subtitling initiative. In 2009, the TED website won the award for Best Use of Video or Moving Image at the 13th Annual Webby Award, which is just as well, as substantial and structured seminars such as these remain scarce in the decentralized web-based world where a wealth of information is widely available yet not categorized and as such not accessible. Whilst the global workforce wishes for inspiration across

TEDx Phenomenon

The

Dar Al-Hekma hosted the 2011 TEDx Arabia event which attracted an impressive turnout of more than 1000 attendees.

job industries that can be repetitive and tedious, the sad reality is that although the web is the gateway to all conceivable types of information, most people will have neither the time nor initiative to search for such a wide range of topics that do all, in fact, affect their lives.

Such, thus, highlights the genius of the TEDx phenomenon. Short, sweet, concise and diverse, the big picture is presented to viewers and listeners in a compact yet uncomplicated manner. Survivors of plane crashes transmit their newfound zeal for life, travellers showcase their new perspective on world religions and people who experienced absolution in various other forms step forward and share with the thirsty and resilient masses.Yet each region has its cultural specificities. At this year’s second TEDx event in Saudi Arabia held at Dar Al-Hekma, the main theme revolved around innovation and entrepreneurship, both commercial and social. In short, productivity was the highlight in a region where youth long for enhanced job opportunities in their native country and where platforms for such interaction are limited to premier higher education institutions such as

that of Dar Al-Hekma. Other themes that revolve around local custom included the spiritual factor, in particular, prayer and the role of prayer in time management, in addition to the role of individuals in representing under or misrepresented third world countries.One of the head organizers of TEDx Arabia, Bander Al-Mutlaq, a young rising entrepreneur who recently founded N-Tech Media, an incubation service for youth, and board member of the Young Initiative Group, a volunteer mission that is the first of its kind in the Kingdom, cited in particular a presentation in 3-D where the presenter attempts to portray his perception of the golden age of Islam by reenacting the image of Prophetic companions such as Bilal, a ‘muathin’ (caller to prayer) of African origin. Asked about the Dean of Dar Al-Hekma’s keynote speech and their decision to host the event at the College in particular, Mr. Al-Mutlaq noted that Dr. Qurashi was ‘welcoming to youth and inspiring’ and that ‘Dar Al-Hekma is one of the main pillars of our community that develops leaders and innovators. Therefore, we choose to have it as academic partner rather than just to have an event hosted by them.’

‘Dar Al-Hekma is one of the main pillars of our community that develops leaders and innovators.

The President of Dar Al-Hekma Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi gives her speech at the TEDx Arabia event hosted at the Dar Al-Hekma premises.

Samar Al-Sayed

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International Exhibition forHigher EducationThe International Exhibition & Conference on Higher Education (IECHE) was held last semester at the International Convention & Exhibition Centre – RICEC, Riyadh

To meet the needs of 300,000 visitors, 428 international universities and colleges from 34 country participated in the exhibition as well as 58 Saudi colleges and universities.

This exhibition is known as the most prestigious educational event for higher education in Saudi Arabia that provides a platform for other colleges and universities to learn from other experiences of historical, current and emerging world class system universities.

The IECHE encourages world class universities to participate, enhance collaborate, as well as develop mutual understanding about the issues that govern and influence the quality of higher education worldwide. It also provides an opportunity to the community and those interested in different academic programs, to become aware of what makes it unique about higher education institutions, including the knowledge about the educational and academic system, extracurricular activities, and future programs.

As the IECHE plays an important factor in the expansion and improvement of higher education in Saudi Arabia, several topics of concern for higher education were discussed in the IECHE Conference. “World Class University System” and “Global Competition in Higher Education” were among the topics raised in the Conference Program by prominent expertise.

Reem Saidi of Student Affairs with Mr. Adel Kazzim, Minister of Higher Education

Dr. Lamya Gazzaz, Vice Dean of Student Affairs with alumna Kholoud Haddad

The DAH team at International Exhibition included: Ishraq Barakat, Reem Al-Saidi, Lamya Gazzaz, Najwan Imam, Kholoud Haddad

Hekma School of Business has organized a Project Management Professional (PMP) workshop covering 40 hours of training and credentialing in a preparation program by Eng. Mulham Aldrobi, PMP Certified and SAP ERP manager in Saudi Arabia Airlines.

PMP is the world’s de facto standard for the project management profession containing fundamental, baseline practices that derive business results controlling and executing a project. However, you do not only learn about managing work or school projects, you learn about managing your life.” As Engineer Mulham Aldrobi stated, “The longest and biggest project one will ever manage is his or her life. Everything you learn in this course can be applied to every aspect in your daily life.”Given all the positive feedback from participants, we, at Hekma School of Business, believe that the course was very successful and beneficial to all

participants and met its objectives in introducing them to the project management profession and teaching them the knowledge, practices, tools and techniques essential for them to plan and successfully execute any project they may work on. Therefore, we are committed to continue in this way to provide our students with more of such programs essential for their professional development and competency in the job market.

Hekma School of Business:

Certification, Training and Credentialing Preparation Program

Project Management Professional (PMP)

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The realm of social responsibility has gained considerable momentum in the Kingdom over the past decade thanks to individuals, organizations and higher education institutions that have liaised with international associations. Samar Al-Sayed reports on the latest trend vowing to better society.

Social pioneers have added a conscience-driven dimension to the business world. Dubbed “corporate social responsibility” or CSR as it is widely known by the big players, every major enterprise from banking corporations to conglomerates now has such a department in their organizational structure. The reason: in an age of abundance, capitalism and media monopoly, it is no longer socially acceptable to ignore the images and figures that circulate highlighting pressing socio-economic issues within local societies. Youth unemployment, global warming and lack of access for special needs were but a few such issues addressed at this year’s U.S.-Saudi Women’s Forum On Social Entrepreneurship which took place at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and in the Eastern Province between October 18 and October 23rd of this year.

A public-private program sponsored by the U.S. State Department, the Forum provides an outlet for Saudi women of a dual dimension: to explore opportunities for action within civil society whilst enhancing entrepreneurial and leadership skills to solve those problems. The essence of the program is to instill knowledge of the theory of social entrepreneurship and then to inspire participant involvement in socially responsible community activities by allowing them to put forward proposals for the ideas they come up with.

The Age of SocialEntrepreneurship

The Forum is funded by a grant from the Women’s Empowerment Pillar of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), a U.S. Government-sponsored project pioneered in terms of design and implementation by ICF International. Partnerships were developed with Dar Al- Hekmaand Babson College’s Center for Women’s Leadership and Wellesley Center for Women in Massachusetts. The MEPI, located in the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, assists efforts to expand political participation, strengthen civil society and the rule of law, empower women and youth, create educational opportunities, and foster economic reform throughout the Middle East and North Africa. According to the MEPI web page the program “works with non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and academic institutions, as well as governments.”

The introductory seminar of the forum was held in April 2009 at Dar Al-Hekma at which 100 students from three Jeddah colleges participated. The second major event took place at Babson College in Boston Massachusetts between July 10 and 25th of 2009 with the participation of 30 students chosen from the first seminar, three Dar Al- Hekmafaculty members, ICF project managers and the Babson faculty. The closing event, under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Seeta bin Abdallah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud took place in 2010, where a winner was selected from amongst 6 groups.

During her visit to Dar Al-Hekma last year, Secretary Clinton recognized the work of the US-Saudi Women’s Forum on Social Entrepreneurship:

“… some of you recently participated in the U.S.-Saudi Women’s Forum on social entrepreneurship, the result of a partnership that brought this college together with Wellesley College and Babson College. The result is a program that has given 100 young Saudi women training in business and

leadership, and the tools to begin your own enterprises in your communities. And this is just one example of the kind of forward thinking and effective ways that women around the world can join together through such educational exchanges and opportunities to look for ways to make contributions in our own communities.”

In light of the extensive and dated liaison that Dar Al-Hekma holds with such initiatives, it is not surprising that a group of 4 of its alumnae came up with the idea of launching an environmental enterprise entitled Naqaa.

The MBA Director and Presidential Advisor of Dar Al-Hekma meet with members of ICF International.

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Norah-Maghraby

“This project started in my freshmen year at Dar Al-Hekma. A community service project was part of my English course and our teacher instructed us to host a week long charitable event. At that time, I have noticed that most of my fellow students focused on raising funds for orphans and helping the needy and neglected a very important element of the society which is the environment.

My friends and I decided to collect the paper waste from the college for a week and send it to a recycling factory. Having this model working, we thought why not to establish it permanently. Working on this small project sparked our interest in the environmental protection field. And with the support of the college, we have founded the first Environmental Society that aims to promote environmental sustainability within the campus and established a recycling program campus wide that still operating till now.

Case Study:Naqaa Enterprises

Out of 100 students from several universities, the 27 Dar Al-Hekma students chosen to attend the US-Saudi Women’s Forum on Social Entrepreneurship at Babson College later visited the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Over the years, our passion grew with us as we became seniors and we have been lucky to participate in the first phase of the US-Saudi Women’s forum on Social Entrepreneurship and make it to the finalists and win first place. The forum helped us realize that our passion to the environmental cause can be turned into a social business and a life career for us. This is when Naqa’a Environmental Enterprise was created by Mona Othman, Muna Alamer and myself. Naqa’a Environmental Enterprise is an emerging social enterprise that is committed to improving the holistic environmental status in Saudi Arabia by providing comprehensive Environmental Consultation to organizations. We strive to become the leading environmental company in the kingdom by offering several unique services that are new to the Saudi market.

Naqa’a Environmental Enterprise aims to transfer all companies in the Kingdom to a new level of eco-conciseness. We provide environmental consultation and implement various types of sustainability projects that benefit our community socially, economically and environmentally. Our purpose is to promote corporate sustainability and the Triple Bottom Line within the Kingdom.

We aspire to create a Green Mind Power for our clients. Naqa’a thus, uses sophisticated techniques to purify the business and work environment one step at a time; and in doing so we allow our clients to achieve the satisfactory pride of becoming a leading green organization in the region.

And now, as a way to give back, we have been helping in organizing the second phase of the US-Saudi Women’s Forum on Social Entrepreneurship. It is a great way to reflect upon our experience in the past year as starting up and help mentor the coming generation of social entrepreneurs.

I strongly believe that social entrepreneurship is widely confused with volunteerism especially in Saudi Arabia. I have personally noticed that many people believe that when doing good, a person should not get anything in return (profit) and I strongly disagree with this concept. Because profit ensures the sustainability of the positive act, which means doing more good.

I wish to see more examples of social entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia, trying to solve all the issues around us so we can all have a better place for us and the coming generations.”

Norah Maghraby and Mona Osman, pictured left, were previously part of the group Green Jeddah but later broke away to form their current company, Naqaa Enterprises.

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Mona Haddad is a member of the Special Education (SPED) faculty and the only bilingual specialist in the SPED program. She completed her graduate studies in Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) at the University of North Texas, earning a distinction and returned to Jeddah to complete supervision hours through applying ABA principles in higher education and through working with children with autism. After working for many years towards achieving this credential, Ms. Haddad passed the international certification exam. This certification will allow her to contribute as an instructor to the full complement of courses in the Autism POS as well as to serve English and Arabic clients with autism in the SPED Clinic and community in large, using scientifically proven intervention practices for individuals with autism. She is among the first BCBAs from Saudi Arabia who join a prestigious group of professionals dedicated to strengthening the services for individuals with autism all over the world.

Ms. Haddad stated: “I am very proud of this significant achievement that could not have been accomplished without the support and encouragement I received from my college, Dar Al-Hekma. Dar Al-Hekma equally shares this award with me as well as our beloved country, Saudi Arabia.”

In other news:At the end of last semester, Ms. Bethany Condo and Ms. Mona Al-Haddad of the SPED program co-presented phase one

of their research study titled “English to Arabic Translation of ABA Terminology: What’s Lost and What Remains” at the 37th Annual Association for Applied Behavior Analysis International Convention in Denver, Colorado (USA).The purpose of this investigation was to examine translation of behavioral terms and definitions from English to Arabic. A list of behavioral terms were searched for in English-Arabic scientific dictionaries. A few days prior to that, they had also presented the same research paper with small increments in the Applied Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) in Spain. This is a study that may potentially impact on the field of behavior analysis as it develops in the Arabic speaking region, Saudi Arabia.

In both countries, they received positive feedback about the need for the project and many manifested interest in the team continuing phase II of the study.

Mona Haddad Acquires Applied Behavior

Ms Iffath Sultana, (MBA, B.Ed., B.com) has been a Lecturer at the Hekma School of Business since 2008 and an educator for the past 13 years. A Master’s degree holder from Osmania University, India, she is currently pursuing her PhD in international trade under the Department of Commerce at Lucknow University, India.She presented her research paper titled “Re-examining the growth effects of trade and FDI” at “The Global Management Conference” held in Budapest, Hungary in May 2011.Abstract:

All economies are increasingly open in today’s economic environment of globalization. Trade and FDI play an important role in molding the economic and social performance and potential of countries around the world, especially those of developing countries. In recent decades a number of developing countries, more significantly the East Asian newly Industrialized countries and the Emerging market economies, have been able to experience growth and development by utilizing the forces of trade and FDI, while other least developed countries have experienced limited growth and development by pursuing unilateral liberalization.The purpose of this study is to re-examine some of the large theoretical and empirical literature provided by previous studies and emphasize the importance of trade and FDI for economic growth, and also to understand the channels through which countries can benefit from liberalization and openness.

Staff Profile: Iffath Sultana Analysis International (ABAI) License

Ruba Al-Omari Passes ITIL Exam

Dr. Suhair Al-Qurashi, the President of Dar Al-Hekma College, received Prince Nayef Award for Saudization, the bronze class, for the educational sector. Dar Al-Hekma College has earned this award for fulfilling all the required standards. With immense gratitude, Dr. Al-Qurashi thanked His Royal Highness Prince Nayef for all his efforts and non-stop care for supporting national cadres and encouraging government and private institutions to employ young Saudi’s, males and females. Dr. Al-Qurashi highlighted the role the college plays to recruit national cadres in accordance with the vision and mission of Dar Al-Hekma College, which has been since its establishment committed to excellence and to educate students for the international and local labor market. Prince Nayef Award for Saudization was established in 1418-1419 H in order to encourage institutions that offer distinguished job opportunities for Saudi’s, and since then over than 200 private companies and institutions have won the award.

Dar Al-Hekma Wins Prince Nayef Award forSaudization

What do the letters ITIL stand for?Information Technology Infrastructure LibraryITIL is the most widely adopted approach for IT Service Management in the world. It provides a practical framework for identifying, planning, delivering and supporting IT services to the business.

What is this exam required for?The majority of people who take the ITIL as a qualification do so for career and personal development reasons. For me, I felt it necessary to acquire this knowledge when I was recently assigned as Manager of the Operations Unit in the IT Department, specifically the Help Desk.

How will it benefit you and your career? How does it enhance your qualifications? Or what does it qualify you to do?I personally believe that certain Certifications open new doors, even if you have been involved in service management successfully for many years; but overall, having the certificate is necessary to keep up with the growing needs and goals of DAH!The ITIL taught me the best practices in Service Management in terms of the techniques, processes and functions of efficient and effective service. So I can now relate this knowledge to wider IT issues and to my own work environment.

How will it benefit the College?I have already started working on making the IT Department’s Help Desk

ITIL Compliant. It is a long process, but I believe we will get there. When DAH becomes ITIL Compliant, it means we are implementing the very best standards in the world in terms of Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation and Continual Service Improvement.

How long did you have to study for the ITIL? Did you have to take a course for it?I took an ITIL Foundation Course, and had to study and prepare for the exam after that. It took me six months of preparation until I felt I was ready to take the exam.

When did you find out that you passed the ITIL, and how did you feel when you got the news? Because it is an online exam, the results appear immediately once you click the finish button. For some reason, when I finished the exam, which was 90 minutes long, and the result appeared, I wasn’t sure if I passed or failed. The result bar looked vague and I became very worried. Moments later, the training center supervisor came and told me that I passed. I was in tears!

Can you think of any other information that you would like to share about this exam or the experience of passing it?You are never too old to take an exam!

Engineer Ruba Al-Omari, manager of DAH’s Network and Operations Unit in the IT department recently earned the esteemed ITIL Certification which serves to enhance the quality of IT services at Dar Al-Hekma. In this online interview with Ruba, we learn what all of this means for both her and us.

Saudization award

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Many questions come to mind as I think of the New Year. What has really changed in us? Have we learned more? Has our performance developed? Have our principles become stronger and our habits improved? These are all but questions that we should ask ourselves in order to account ourselves for our deeds and actions before being questioned or judged. With all the perplexing incidents taking place around us, I have come to some enlightening conclusions that I believe will help us through the journey of life…

As you sow so shall you reap tomorrow, for your deeds - good or bad - will repay you in kind.

You might have money and power today but there are no guarantees; things might change in a blink of an eye.

Being attached to human beings is hurtful; love God and be with Him, for He will never let you down.

Each one of us has a mission that he/she has been created for. Know your mission and work hard to fulfill it.

Happiness does not come in quantities; it only settles in your heart if you are content and satisfied with what you have been given.

In every tragedy there is goodness even if you cannot see it. Do not despair and pray to God to unravel your grief.

Be true to yourself, for it relieves you from distress, sheds its blessing on your livelihood, and improves your health and strengthens your mind and body.

Nothing can change your fate except prayer. Always pray and trust that one day God will answer your prayers.

Charity is yet another blessing of life, no matter how big or small; it works like prevention from distress and catastrophes.

Integrity is the heart of all deeds, and the result is that success will overwhelm you in everything you do.

In the end, I pray to the Almighty to open doors of light and righteousness to all mankind and to keep us away from that which hinders our progress.

Dr. Suhair Hussain Al-QurashiPresident of Dar Al-Hekma College

A Final Word