alfaisal magazine-vol2

July 2011 M a g a z i n ePB M a g a z i n e July 2011 1

Magazine

July 2011/ Volume 1, Issue II

Sponsored by:

July 2011 M a g a z i n e2 M a g a z i n e July 2011 3


Contents

Leadership Message 5

Alfaisal News Update 6

HR Message 7

Alfaisal Feature 9-10

College of Business 11-12

College of Engineering 13-14

Happenings at Alfaisal 15-16

College of Medicine 17-18

College of Science & General Studies 19-20

Office of Research 21-22

Boeing 23-24

Student Affairs 25-26

Faculty Interview 28

IT Department 29-30

Alfaisal Library 32

Student Drama Review 33-34

Book Review 36

HRH Prince Abd Allah Al-Faisal King Faisal Foundation (KFF)

HRH Prince Muhammad Al Faisal King Faisal Foundation (KFF)

HRH Prince Khalid Al Faisal Chairman, Board of Trustees

HRH Prince Saud Al Faisal King Faisal Foundation (KFF)

HRH Prince Abd Al-Rahman Al Faisal King Faisal Foundation (KFF)

HRH Prince Sa’ad Al Faisal King Faisal Foundation (KFF)

HRH Prince Bandar Al Faisal King Faisal Foundation (KFF)

HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal King Faisal Foundation (KFF)

HH Prince Khalid bin Fahad bin Khalid Al Saud King Faisal Foundation (KFF)

HH Prince Bandar bin Saud bin Khalid Al Saud King Faisal Foundation (KFF)

HH Prince Khalid bin Abduallah bin Mogren Al Saud Ministry of Education

Sheikh Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Jomiah Al-Jomiah Holding Company

Sheikh Saleh Abdullah Kamel Dallah Albaraka

Sheikh Bakr bin Mohammed Binladin Saudi Binladin Group

Sheikh Saad Aldeen bin Rafiq Al-Hariri Saudi Oger

Dr. Qassem Alqassabi Chief Executive & Director King Faisal Specialist Hospital &

Research Center (KFSHRC)

Mr. Ahmed Al Jazzar President, Boeing of Saudi Arabia

Mr. Peter Wilson MD BAE Systems

Mr. Fred Nader United Technologies Corp.

Mr. Marc Cathelineau THALES

Dr. Abdullah Abdulrahman Al-Othman Rector King Saud University

Dr. Mohammed bin Yahya Al-Shehry Professor of Surgery, King Khaled University

Dr. Abdullah Abdul Karim Al-Musallam The Secretary for National Commission for

Academic Accreditation & Assessment.

Dr. Abdulrahman Mohammed AbouammohKing Saud University

Board of Trustees


Leadership Message

Dr. Faisal Al-MubarakVice President, Chief Academic Officer

(Provost)

Alfaisal University

I am pleased to write a few words of appreciation to the Alfaisal University community, HRH Prince Khalid Al Faisal, the esteemed members of the Board of Trustees, colleagues, faculty members, the administrators and, of course, our hard working students. This is the 2nd issue of the Alfaisal University Magazine, and I am happy to report that the University has made great strides in its relatively short history and is ready to face the challenges of the future.

The Board of Trustees (BoT) has recently met and the overall impression of all its members was extremely positive and encouraging. The approval of the minutes of the 8th BoT meeting and its response to the most recent meeting agenda was overwhelmingly supportive of the new organization chart, including the new leadership, and the overall future direction of Alfaisal University. The Board of Trustees listened with keen interest to the achievements of Alfaisal University’s faculty and students and showed enthusiasm and continued commitment to Alfaisal University, namely to underwrite its mission and achieve its vision. The generous commitment exhibited by the Board members, is closely in accord with the ambitious aspirations of Alfaisal’s leadership, the faculty and administrators, and our highly capable students. Furthermore, generous support by the Board of Trustees members was extended to the completion of campus buildings, funding start-up research, and operational expenditures.

Alfaisal is an aspiring, non-profit, higher education institution. It prides itself on the progressive ideals of its founders, quality teaching and patent-winning research. In merely two years, Alfaisal has attracted international students who now account for 55% of its student body. Registered students are highly capable with a mean TOEFL score of 543, and mean Qudrat score in the top 5 percentile. Despite its’ small student body, a number of Alfaisal students have managed to win international recognition in research, and have proven themselves in international workshops, seminars and student competitions. Our fledgling national and international signature cooperative education program places our students in leading businesses in the Kingdom and in companies around the world. It was ranked at number one by King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology as the top national higher education institution with regards to the number of approved research grants. We have the best faculty member to student ratio in the Kingdom, and we have a large pool of top research faculty, with published research in leading international periodicals.

In short, Alfaisal has all the ingredients to prosper, with Allah’s Blessings, as we work together as one community, in our progressive scientific endeavors, while collaborating and understanding our responsibilities as we face the challenges ahead of us.


Alfaisal News Update

Editorial Team

Deputy Managing Editor:

Saphia Ikram

Assistant Coordinator

Aljohara Al-Saud

Editor

Simon Hull

Web-Publishing & Photo Courtesy:

Akram Husain

Graphic Artist:

Rovelyn P. Rico

How to Contact us:

Tel. No. 920000570

01-2157817

Fax No. 920000571

P.O. Box 50927

Riyadh 11533

Website: www.alfaisal.edu

Email: [email protected]

M a g a z i n e

Letter from the EditorSaudi Aramco Accepts Alfaisal University Research Proposals

Three out of six research proposals submitted by faculty members at Alfaisal University have been accepted for funding as part of the Saudi Aramco University Collaboration Program (UCP). The three accepted proposals from Alfaisal University are: Dr. Muhammad Azeem Ashraf for a project in applied mathematics and computational modeling entitled “Wear behavior characterization of Stellite alloys using computational modeling”; Dr. Nadimul H. Faisal for a project in the area of oil to hydrogen and fuel cells

entitled “Advance anode materials for direct hydrocarbon proton conducting solid oxide fuel cell (PC-SOFC) in auxiliary power units”; and Dr. Rehan Ahmed for research on “Nano-composite carbide coatings for wear resistant applications”, which has applications in advanced and nano-structured materials.

Insert Picture

First Patent Filed for Alfaisal University by Academic in the College of Engineering

Orthopedic implants are an integral part of a country’s national health policy and critical to the quality of life of orthopedic patients. Dr Rehan Ahmed, in collaboration with his colleagues at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh and Kings College London, recently filed a patent application (PCT) in the field of surface coatings for use in orthopedic implants. The IP (Intellectual Property) of this patent is jointly shared between the researchers involved, Alfaisal University and entrepreneurs who provided funding stream for this research.

Dr Rehan Ahmed explained “….. although the use of Hydroxyapatite coatings in human implants is currently commercially available, our new patent technology will reduce the rejection rates and improve the time to recovery of human implants via stronger and more biologically active coatings used in the patent technology ……”

Research Abstract Presented in Annual Meeting of American Society for Cell Biology

Hani Jamal Alturkmani, a 3rd-year student in College of Medicine, submitted his molecular biology research abstract to the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) last October. After being accepted the research abstract was subsequently presented in the annual meeting of the ASCB last December 2010.

The research was conducted last summer in the University of Mississippi Medical Centre in Jackson, MS in the U.S.A, under the supervision of Dr. George Booz, a well-known molecular biologist.

The research title was “Selenate Enhances Endothelial Cell STAT3 Tyrosine Phosphorylation and DNA Binding” , and Hani Alturkmani was involved as a first author.


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Human ResourcesAlfaisal University Human Resources Department (HR) is strategically involved in planning and improving the workplace environment, serving the workforce, including leaders, staff and faculty and ultimately the university mission and vision.

This past academic year, we welcomed 21 new faculty members in the four colleges. I was pleased to see the Alfaisal community welcome them all, and how well they all intergrated into our unique learning environment, an environment that promotes efective learning, that is student - centred and cares about its staff.

Based on our previous experiences, our focus remained on performance improvement and recognition. In order to accomplish this objective, HR has upgraded its performance program which will achieve the following:

• Create and boost transparency at all business levels

• Link University goals with division, department and individual objectives

• Apply quantative approaches to measure achievements (e.g., SMART KPIs)

• Develop employees’ career

• Create a culture of reward and recognition

Finally, we are proud to say that we have recruited the most qualified faculty and staff. With their support and that of our leadership, Alfaisal University will achieve its mission of being a world class university. I look forward to a new academic year, with new challenges and many exciting opportunities for us all.

Message from HR Director

Human Resources

Diana Orabi

Director, Human Resources


Development Office


Alfaisal University Launches MBA Program Fall 2010

uilding on the esteemed portfolio of undergraduate courses in Business, Engineering, Medicine and Science & General Studies, Alfaisal University announced the launch of its first post graduate program; The Alfaisal MBA for Executives at an

official launching ceremony under the auspices of HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal, on Wednesday 22nd December at the Alfaisal University Campus. HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal recognized and acknowledged sponsors of the event Dallah Albarakah for their longstanding support and contribution.

The 22-month program is designed to be a “lock-step” sequence of courses for experienced executives with a global mindset who seek to elevate their performance by pursuing an MBA degree while they continue to work full time.

The Alfaisal MBA Program Director Prof. Earl Naumann stated “the MBA program is based on Alfaisal’s unique formula: the case study method, Alfaisal’s distinguished faculty and a tight-

knit learning community”. He added, “This newly designed MBA program at Alfaisal University addresses the current global challenges facing business. Therefore, emphasis is placed on cutting edge business strategies necessary for success in today’s turbulent environment. Due to the rapid changes in business, current knowledge becomes obsolete faster than ever before. The Alfaisal MBA strives to ensure that students are exposed to the very latest ideas and strategies”.

In his key note address, guest speaker HRH Prince Mohamed bin Khalid bin Abdullah Al Faisal, President & CEO of Alfaisaliah Group Holding, and an MBA graduate from Harvard Business School emphasized the uniqueness of the MBA program at Alfaisal University and the value it can bring to its stake holders in the globally competitive world that we live in. He added “…The MBA program at Alfaisal is on the right track and has the advantage of catering to all stakeholders demands. Stakeholders today are looking at the end result and want graduates who

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Alfaisal Feature

By: Saphia Ikram


Alfaisal University Launches MBA Program Fall 2010

display leadership skills with the ability to be critical thinkers, apply problem solving skills in the real world and an ability to deal with and interact in an increasingly globalized world. In short we expect Alfaisal University to be a leadership factory focusing on the outcome”.

Spokesperson for Alfaisal University, Saphia Ikram also stated, “Alfaisal University is a student centered University and the Alfaisal MBA program will provide an unparalleled international experience for students. Participants will immerse themselves in experiential learning opportunities that will push and challenge their assumptions and beliefs”.

The event attracted high profile executives from a wide spectrum of industry, business and commerce who were all inquisitive about the Alfaisal MBA program. Among diginitaries were HH Prince Bandar Al Saud, Chairman, Executive Committee, Alfaisal University, Dr. Faisal Al Mubarak, Vice President & Chief Academic Officer (Provost) Alfaisal University, HRH Prince Saud Al Faisal, HRH Abdalaziz bin Ahmed, HRH Bandar bin Khaled, & HH Dr. Turki bin Ahmed were also present at the event.HRH prince Turki Al Faisal, Board Member , Alfaisal University gave a special recignition and thanks to Sheikh Saleh Kamel; Dallah Al Baraka, for his longstanding contribution and support of the College of Business.

Alfaisal Feature


Visiting Scholar from Oxford, U.K. The College of Business prides itself on the generation of knowledge that promotes the economic development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Beyond the efforts of our own scholars, the College of Business recently hosted a visiting research scholar, Miguel Iglesias Otero, from the Department of International Relations, Politics and Sociology at Oxford Brooks

Research HighlightsThroughout the year, College of Business professors conduct research that matters to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Their research addresses several salient issues including cross cultural teamwork, adoption and usage

of information and communication technology, business and the natural environment, business education, and entrepreneurship. While their research efforts are too many to mention individually, one particularly interesting project completed in conjunction with the Office of Research is the Saudi Arabia Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Project (GEM).

As part of a local Saudi team supported by the Centennial Fund, Dr. Hazbo Skoko and Dr. Norman Wright surveyed over

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Project

T 2,000 adults as well as 30 entrepreneurship experts to assess the state of entrepreneurship within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Their analysis formed the foundation of a 100 page publication to be distributed to thousands of decision makers throughout the country. The report examines both individual entrepreneurial experience as well as the conduciveness to entrepreneurship of the business, government, and social environments. These were then compared with the averages in 51 other countries participating in the GEM study. Below is just one example of their findings indicating that Saudi businesses close down principally due to a lack of profitability or for personal reasons while their international counterparts also emphasize difficulty in getting financing and taking another job as important reasons for closing.

Figure 1: Reasons for Closing a Business

University. Mr. Otero’s research focuses on how financial experts from emerging markets assess the impact of the Euro in the reconfiguration of the international monetary system. Having completed visits to Brazil, China, and the UAE (with interviews at all central banks and major commercial banks), he was in Saudi Arabia for a month to conduct a series of interviews on his PhD topic, ‘The Role of the Euro in the International Political Economy’. Mr. Otero’s work in the Kingdom of Saudi

College of Business


Student ActivitiesStudents in Free EnterpriseSeven of our students (Abdullah Al-Ibrahim, Ibrahim Al-Shalan, Abdulrahman Al-Subaye, Faisal Al-Shbaily, Rakan Abdulmonem Alrashed, Mohamed Al-Sheheel, and Ibrahim Al- Khorayef) along with Dean Norman Wright and Dr. Dennis Greer visited King’s College in London to learn about the “Students in Free Enterprise” (SIFE) program. SIFE is “an international not-for-profit organization that brings business executives, academic leaders and university students together to develop sustainable enterprising solutions” (www.SIFE.org). The students were shown the award winning presentation of the King’s College SIFE program by members of the U.K. championship team highlighting some of their 30 student projects that benefit the less affluent. These projects range from establishing an apple juice operation on the campus of a school for the handicapped to helping form a community-based jewelry business for a group of impoverished women and children in the Philippines.As part of the training, the Alfaisal University students presented ideas of their own, including helping farmers

Working Across Cultures to Make the World a Better Place

Arabia was supervised and facilitated by Dr. Hazbo Skoko of the College of Business at Alfaisal University. Apart from furthering his research by interviewing Saudi experts, Miguel also took part in the Alfaisal University Seminar Series presenting

the preliminary findings of his work to Alfaisal University faculty. His enthralling presentation was timely in helping those in attendance better understand the nature of the currency and economic crisis gripping Europe, and its relevance to the Saudi economy.

operate in a more environmentally sustainable way while increasing profits, providing entrepreneurial training for high school students, establishing home-based businesses for single mothers, and developing the employment and business skills of disadvantaged immigrant families. Upon their return the students began to move their projects forward and have been joined by additional Alfaisal students working on a You Tube business channel and the creation of a bookstore at the University.While the students worked hard to understand the Students in Free Enterprise program and initiate their own projects, they also took time to visit several cultural and historical sites. One favorite was the Bank of England Museum where they learned about the history of currency, the gold standard, and inflation through a series of interactive exhibits. Another highlight was a visit to the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising where students saw how many of our favorite brands developed through clever packaging and advertising.

While some College of Business students are applying what they have learned in the classroom to strengthen their communities, others are applying those lessons in a private venture that

increases the entertainment options in the Kingdom. Khaled Mansour Al Saud launched his own event-business earlier this year known as Luxury Events. Khaled and several colleagues from the College of Business tested their skills last fall by bringing a group of comedians to Alfaisal University. The show was very well attended and the comedians received rave reviews by the student customers. Based on this initial success, Khaled and his student colleagues decided to launch Luxury Events in March of this year to see if they could create a profitable business. They have begun to succeed even beyond their initial expectations. One recent event was a comedy show in Dammam which attracted some 1500 people, each willing to spend between 250 to 600 riyals for the privilege. With this kind of a start, these students are well on their way to becoming the next generation of successful Saudi businessmen.

‘Luxury Events helps COB students put theory into practice’

College of Business


Message from Acting Dean, Abdulmajeed Mohamad Alfaisal University is the realisation of a dream to bring quality education to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to the region. The Middle East was

the centre of great learning for the world. This was not just because of indigenous scientific excellence, but also because of the teachings of Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him. Invention and the progress of scientific methodologies in Astronomy, Medicine, Chemistry, etc. was directed toward the welfare of humanity and not to its destruction. Alfaisal University and the College of Engineering, with lessons from the past and the present are trying to help bring a part of the vision of the late King Faisal (May God have mercy upon him), to reality. We understand that there is a long path to reach our goal, but our potential, commitment and faith in our future will enable us to realize this goal. The ultimate goal is to contribute toward the transformation of Saudi Arabia to a knowledge-based society and to contribute to the education of the country in particular, and the region in general.

The society around us is shaped by engineering and the quality of our lives is oweing to the advances in engineering. It is only natural that a student gets excited by day to day engineering solutions which can almost be called miraculous: e.g., advances in genetic engineering, nanotechnology, communications technology and atomic fusion for the future energy demands of our planet. Here, at the College of Engineering, we help students not only to understand these “miracles” of engineering but also through our problem based approach to teaching, sow the seed of innovation and passion for future scientific research. Our duty to the students is to prepare them for future challenges in the market of innovation, education and entrepreneurship. Our duty to the industry and the market is to provide high quality engineers who can in turn provide innovative engineering solutions and ideas and who can apply their engineering knowledge for the betterment of their respective establishments.As you proceed to explore the College of Engineering (CoE) at Alfaisal University, you will find exciting programs in a truly high-tech environment with world-class faculty. All this, coupled with excellent library facilities, a curriculum carefully crafted by our consultant teams from MIT and Cambridge and an Urban Campus in the heart of Riyadh makes the College of Engineering at Alfaisal University a perfect place to start your future.

College of Engineering

According to the Supply-Chain Council (www.supply-chain.org), the Supply-Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) Model consists of the following activities: planning activities, sourcing activities, “make” or production activities, delivery activities, and return activities. Each of these arises over several members of a global supply chain, illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1: SCOR Model (Source: Bozarth, C., Handfield, R.B., Introduction to Operations and Supply Chain Management, 2nd Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008.)

There are seven types of waste in supply chain management, namely: over-supply, transportation, inventory, waiting, movement, defective service or product, and over-processing. Quality, cost, delivery times and/or customer service can all be substantially improved via lean design and operation which seek to eliminate non value-added activity and wasteful practices

Lean Six Sigma for Supply Chain Management: An Expanded Role By: Gilles Cormier


typical in current work processes. By being lean, companies are efficient at lower volumes/lower lot sizes, have greater flexibility, gain higher productivity, increase product mix diversity, improve rapidity of product development cycle, and have higher quality of performance.Lean Six Sigma projects aim to move the process toward a target previously set according to customer expectations through the DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) methodology. The Lean Six Sigma approach has traditionally been applied to manufacturing, with careful attention paid to how Key Process Input Variables (KPIV) impact the Key Process Output Variables (KPOV), typically via data collection and statistical analysis. Broadening the application of the Lean Six Sigma approach to the entire supply chain is an undertaking ripe for more rigorous quantitative tools such as those taught in Alfaisal University’s undergraduate program in industrial engineering, namely linear programming models, queuing models, demand forecasting models, network models, inventory models, Markov processes and simulation models. Such quantitative methods result in more objective decisions than a purely qualitative analysis and incorporate advances in computational technologies to managerial problem-solving.To illustrate industrial engineering’s potential contribution to Lean Six Sigma projects in supply chains, let us consider a situation in which the initial data collection and analysis phase would have uncovered an inordinate amount of inventory shortages to the point where customers were dissatisfied with the level of service. A recent paper co-written by the author of this article presents some crucial insights into the value of collaboration between a contractor (machine M1) and a subcontractor (machine M2) when both are subject to an increasing failure rate. One of the

scenarios analyzed using the computer simulation language Arena© entailed the establishment of the optimal allocation of demand between the contractor and the subcontractor under the assumption that demand can be dynamically reallocated during the planning horizon whenever the former is inoperative for reasons of preventive or corrective maintenance. We point out that, whereas process flowcharting is a well known Lean Six Sigma technique (see Fig. 2), computer simulation brings it alive by allowing statistical analysis to be carried out on KPOV’s for various values of KPIV’s for alternatives which do not yet exist in real life. For instance, as Fig. 3 reveals, irrespective of the failure distribution of M2, it is always optimal for M1 to initially attempt to satisfy 100% of demand on its own and only acquire items from M2 when it is down. In other words, there is nothing to be gained by pre-emptively allocating any demand to M2 given that M1 can at any rate do so dynamically during the planning horizon. But equally important to this observation is the fact that the gain is now more than just a hunch, it is quantified and seen to vary very significantly from approximately 2% to approximately 10% of demand.

Fig. 2: Process Flowchart for the Dynamic Reallocation of Demand from the Contractor to the Subcontractor

Fig. 3. Shortages (in Terms of Fraction of Demand) as a Function of the Percentage of Demand Initially Supplied by the Contractor with Dynamic Demand Reallocation to the Subcontractor

College of Engineering

Lean Six Sigma for Supply Chain Management: An Expanded Role By: Gilles Cormier


Fun Day for Orphans

Alfaisal Open House 2011

Make’em SmileHapennings at Alfaisal


KeshtaHapennings at Alfaisal

Alfaisal End of Year Event


Message from Dean, Khaled M. AlKattan

The College of Medicine at Alfaisal University (COM) strives to be a lead-ing, research intensive, student centered College. The dedication of our students,

faculty and staff, and our collaborations with national and inter-national institutions and hospitals ensure that the COM is well placed to succeed in our rapidly changing world.

Alfaisal University Faculty

Faculty appointments have been a major achievement for the CoM whether it is with respect to international or local faculty members. Currently we have a total of 17 full time faculty at the CoM, eleven of which joined CoM this year.

College of Medicine faculty are trained educators from state of the art institutions bringing us the quality techniques of teach-ing. Our faculty members follow the Problem Based Learning teaching approach based on our curriculum. Aside from their teaching duties our faculty are active in research that is used by renowned international organizations; Our faculty have sub-mitted 25 publications and presented 5 papers at conferences.

Joint Faculty Appointments between Alfaisal & KFSHRC

Based on an agrrement between the College of Medicine, Al-faisal University and King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Re-search Center, the College of Medicine appoints clinicians from its affiliated hospital as faculty. 15 of them joined Alfaisal in the academic year of 2010/ 2011. The College of Medicine current-ly has 12 Professors, 37 Associate Professors and 45 Assistant Professors appointed from King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, from various departments.

Partners Harvard Medical International

Partners Harvard Medical International (PHMI), a subsidiary of

Harvard Medical School, has collaborated with Alfaisal on the development of the curriculum, design of the facilities, organi-zation of the administrative structure and development of the faculty. The continuous communication between the CoM and PHMI has provided the support to point the CoM in the direction of success.

Our affiliation with PHMI has contributed to our curriculum, faculty development and student evaluation. We have worked closely to ensure high standards to best serve our college.

Graduate Program

The College of Medicine will be offering three graduate programs in affiliation with the Research Center at King Faisal Specialist Hospital. A Master’s & Doctoral Program in Biomedical Scienc-es will be offered this coming fall. Two other graduate programs as well follow and will be offered in a Master of Science Degree Program in Radiological and Imaging Sciences and a Master of Science Degree Program in Genetic Counseling .

Laboratories The simulation lab is now completed with a state-of-the-art clini-cal simulation laboratory. It provides the opportunity for students to learn clinical skills such as taking blood pressure, ascultation, electrocardiograms, and electroencephalograms, performing eye and ear examinations, and airway management. In addi-tion it gives students experience in how to take blood, perform catheterization of the urinary passageways, managing the birth-ing process, performing lumbar puncture and performing pelvic and breast examinations.

In addition to the simulation laboratory a research laboratory is being developed, which will allow students and faculty to ex-pand their research on campus.

Medical Student Association

A. Med-Times

Debuting on an ideal date of January 2009, the College of Medi-cine newsletter at Alfaisal University, Med Times, has been of-fering a wide variety of features that enables students to fulfill

College of Medicine


their writing desires and incorporate their character into what hopefully makes the beginning of our educational journey.From news and updates on the curriculum, to personal articles, photo galleries, and miscellaneous student centered categories, Med Times has been covering all events and is published at the beginning of every month targeting all readers.

Not only has the newsletter provided the physical embodiment of our memories for the years to come, but has also allowed individuals to share their unique written voice, be it in a poem, short story, opinion, or an article. The main theme this newslet-ter adopts is to, as our motto says, “Voice Yourself!”

B. Alfaisal Breast Cancer Team

The project started in the months of April – May, 2010 under the theme of “Help for Today…Hope for Tomorrow”, consisting of workshops to spread awareness about breast cancer. This proj-ect was a collaborative work between Alfaisal College of Medi-cine and Zahra Association for Breast Cancer. The success of the project has resulted in the establishment of Alfaisal Breast Cancer Team (ABCT).

The project won the 5th prize in the “5th Middle East Best of CRTC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium,” 2011. The abstract entitled “Effectiveness of an Innovative Commu-nity-Based Breast Cancer Awareness Workshop” submitted by the team to the symposium has been selected for poster presen-tation. The abstract was evaluated and awarded the fifth prize among all abstracts (oral & poster) and the 2nd best among more than 25 posters. The project has been evaluated as one of the top 15 submitted to the Leiden International Medical Stu-dent Conference (LIMSC 2011) and is selected for an oral pre-sentation, in Leiden the Netherlands. The project has received two grants from the organizing committee of (LIMSC) and from the National Guard Hospital who organized the “5th Middle East Best of CRTC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.”

C. The 2nd International Thoracic Oncology Symposium

In November 3-4, 2010, five medical students presented their accepted abstract entitled “November is the Lung Cancer Awareness Month in the U.S., What About Us?” during the 2nd international Thoracic Oncology Conference, Riyadh. The sym-

posium was a great opportunity for the students, since lung can-cer professionals working, both, in the laboratory and in clinic, in the field of basic and translational research and in daily patient care shared the most updated knowledge and views concern-ing the development of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic methods.

D. Summer Program for International Research Internship and Training (SPIRIT)

The Alfaisal Medical students association started to develop re-search programs locally in 2009, and then evolved to incorpo-rate the global dimension in different countries such as United States and Canada in 2010. Last year around 12 students en-riched their research experience in prestigeous institutes and centers with highly recognized researchers. The feedback was-very positive from the professors who expressed their favorable impressions via email to Alfasial faculty. Students came up with their own theories and some of their ideas now are under in-vestigation, although the students have since left the country. A couple of Alfasial students are coauthors on published articles in a top journal in the USA. Many students are presenting their articles and abstracts in international conferences locally and globally. The objective is to engage as many students as pos-sible into top universities in USA and Canada such as: Harvard, Yale, Vanderbilt, University of Texas, University of Mississippi, University of Manitoba, University of Alberta, University of Mon-treal and Sherbrook University.

E. IFMSA-Saudi Arabia: Alfaisal Local Member Organization:

The International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations- Saudi Arabia (IFMSA-SA) is an independent non-profit national organization mediated by medical students from all over the Kingdom. IFMSA-SA is a full member of International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA) since 2008. IFMSA is an independent, non-governmental and non-political federation of medical students’ associations throughout the world. IFMSA-SA consists of an executive board, a national board comprised of 4 committees (Global Opportunity, Medical Education, Public Health and Humanity and Peace), and local branches in differ-ent cities at the local medical colleges. Alfaisal University’s College of Medicine has established the Local Member Organi-zation (LMO) as a part of IFMSA-SA in 2010, headed by one of Alfaisal leading students.

College of Medicine


Message from Acting Dean, Norman Swazo

The College of Science and General Studies officially launches a Bachelor of Science degree program in Life Sciences

in the fall semester 2011. Designed to take four years to degree completion, the program provides basic training in life sciences, including subjects such as cell biology, molecular genetics, mi-crobiology, human and animal physiology, chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry and physics. Courses in mathematics and computer science are also offered. Students enrolling in this degree option will have ample lecture, tutorials, and labora-tory components of courses included in the major. Students will gain adequate experience to be able to pursue any number of graduate programs (e.g., M.Sc., Ph.D.) in the biomedical scienc-es or professional degrees such as in medicine (M.D.) or public health (M.P.H. or Dr. P.H.). Such basic training is also useful for individuals who are science writers or journalists working for newspapers or magazines with science content.Today’s scientific progress moves in various directions, often at rapid pace. The Life Sciences degree program will include upper-division coursework that keeps track of recent develop-ments in research of international and regional significance. In-cluded here are special topics and research projects involving genetics, stem cell science, virology, biophysics, the science of energy, environmental sciences, and special topics in math-ematics. Because today’s scientific world requires individuals trained to have highly competent ethical judgment as well as technical judgment, the Life Sciences program includes courses

such as in Biomedical and Research Ethics as well as Envi-ronmental Ethics. Students will appreciate the importance of ethical theory, moral principles, rules, and regulations relevant to avoiding scientific misconduct and maintaining scientific in-tegrity in research involving human participants and animals.The government of Saudi Arabia understands the critical impor-tance of science education for its youth as it prepares for the future of the Kingdom with a diversified and knowledge-based economy. All aspects of economic performance, including long-term sustainable development, require young Saudis entering the public and private sectors with skills they may gain through study in the life sciences. The College’s degree program there-fore responds to this important goal of the kingdom as students enroll, eventually graduate from Alfaisal University, find employ-ment locally, or pursue additional graduate or professional stud-ies in the Kingdom or abroad.The College of Science and General Studies welcomes queries and applications from all interested students. Prospective stu-dents may visit the campus at their convenience or otherwise schedule a visit with a faculty member from the College. [Con-tact information: Mr. M. Qawas, email: [email protected]

RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY IN THE HUMANITIESBy: Dr. Richard Arnold, Professor of English

The faculty of the College of Science and General Studies con-tinue with published research, scholarship, and professional activities.

Dr. Arnold’s primary area of research is in the multidisciplinary area of English hymnology and popular culture, in editorial the-ory, and in discourse analysis of interlocutive arguments and refutation strategies. Recent books include Logic of the Fall:

2010: Launching a B.Sc. Program in Life Sciences

College of Science and General Studies

By: Dr. N. K. Swazo, Acting Deanand Professor of Philosophy & Biomedical Ethics


Right Reason and [Im]Pure Reason in Milton’s Paradise Lost (2007), English Hymns of the 19th Century (2004), and Crys-talline Gems of Islamic Jurisprudence (2010). Currently in ne-gotiation is “Trinity of Discord: the Hymnody and Poetic Theory of Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, and William Cowper.” In progress is a novel/screenplay, set in Singapore, which explores meta-bio-fictional aspects of the phenomena of human consciousness, identity, and memory: “Bad Eminence.”

Dr. Simon Hull investigates how 19th-Century texts interact with the city and metropolitan culture. He is currently working on a monograph in which a range of Romantic-era poetry and prose is discussed in the context of a ‘consumption’ theme, as variously interpreted. Dr. Hull is also writing an article that proposes an essayistic tradition of ‘domes-ticating’ the metropolis from the early 19th to the early 20th century.

Dr. Norman K. Swazo works in philosophy and biomedical ethics, and has published recently in the journal Theoretical Medicine and Bio-ethics a paper on the ethics of stem cell research. The paper goes beyond the usual deployment of modern (18th-century) ethical theory (utilitarianism, deontology), and does so by accounting for how ex-istential phenomenology (such as that of the 20th-century German philosopher Martin Heidegger) may offer relevant insights into under-standing and evaluating key concepts and methods in stem cell re-search. Dr. Swazo also served recently as the Co-editor of a special Issue on Islamic Ethics, American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, published in July 2010. Dr. Swazo has additional work in progress on various ethical issues in international affairs. SCIENCE FACULTY RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITYBy: Dr. Jalal Karam, Associate Professor of Mathematics

The mission of Alfaisal University is to seek academic excellence in science education by providing outstanding instruction in the sci-ences, and fostering scientific research of the highest merit. In this regard, the College of Science and General Studies recruits the best international faculty available with promising research pro-grams and agendas. The college also supports the scholarly and professional activities of faculty for advancing their respective dis-ciplines. In so doing, the College provides an outstanding collaborative en-vironment for research. It has established itself as a fundamental participant in Alfaisal University’s aim to become a recognized center of excellence for scientific research and development. Fac-ulty and administration realize that eminence in research is crucial to achieving the college’s to win goals of becoming a leading edu-cational institution in the region and the world.In this academic year, five scientists in the college have received $450,000 in intramural funding to support their research activities.

These faculty have also submitted 3 research funding appli-cations through KACST for over 1,500,000 U$ to pursue their research projects. These proposals are:1. Multilevel iterative method applications for unsteady incom-

pressible flows and seismic imaging, 2. Synthesis and Characterization of polymer nanocomposites via gas phase polymerization.

3. Theoretical and Experimental investigations of Speech Produc-tion and Hearing via Wavelets.Faculty have also published and/or submitted over a dozen re-search manuscripts in vastly respected journals with very high im-pact factors. Some of these articles are the following:1. WNT and PPAR gamma signaling in osteoblastogenesis and adipogenesis. – Nature Review Rheumatology 2009, 5(8), 442-447.

2. Osteoprotective action of estrogens is mediated by osteoclastic estrogen receptor alpha. – Molecular Endocrinology 2010, 24(5), 877-885.

3. PPAR gamma signaling cross-talk in mesenchymal stem cells. – PPAR Research 2010, In Press

4. Epigenetic Modifications in Vitamin D Receptor Mediated Tran-srepression. – In: Vitamin D, 3d edition (Pike J.W., Feldman D., Adams J. Eds) Elsevier (San Diego, CA) 2010, In Press.

5. Hormonal Gene Regulation through DNA Methylation/Demethyl-ation. Epigenomics December 2010 (Invited review)

6. A Comprehensive Approach for Speech Related Multimedia Ap-plications, WSEAS, Transaction on Signal Processing, Submitted March 8th 2010.

7. Various Speech Processing Techniques for Multimedia Applica-tions, 9th International Conference on Signal Processing, Robotics and Automation, Cambridge University, UK, pp: 304 – 309, Febru-ary 20-22, 2010.

8. On Commutative and Nil - Semiclean Rings, American Confer-ence on Applied Mathematics, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA, January 27-29, 2010

9. Commutative and Nil - Semiclean Rings, WSEAS, Transactions on Applied Mathematics, Submitted December 11th 2009.

10. Theory of Nil - Semiclean Rings, International Journal of Math-ematical and Statistical Sciences, IJMSS, Vol. 57, pp: 1005 – 1010, 2009.

11. Reactions between Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Heterocyclics: Covalent and Proton-Bound Dimer Ions of Benzene/Pyridine. Journal of the American Chemical Society Journal of the American Chemical Society 131(29):10066-76, 2009.

12. Second annual International Workshop on Advanced Materials (IWAM 2010, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, February 21-23, pp: 80, 2010.

College of Science and General Studies


Office of Research

Research DaySecond Annual Student Poster Compe-tition 11 May 2011 Alfaisal UniversityOne of Alfaisal University’s priorities is competence building by helping to develop a student’s intellectual abilities through involve-ment in focused research that addresses real community problems. The “Research Day” is held to strengthen the vision that research is indeed one of the missions of Alfaisal University. This year’s competition which held the theme “Human Capacity Building” attracted 21 posters from three colleges (Medicine, Engineering and Science & General Studies). Students presented their research activities/ proposals/ future programs.

1st Prize (L-R) Muhammad H. Alrazaz and Naif M. Ghazal, College of Engi-neering, Intelligent Water Level Indicator Device

2nd Prize (tied for second) (L-R) Mohamed Diya Sabbagh, AbdulAziz AlKattan, Karam Hamweyah, Ahmed Alshibi, Osama Abou Saleh, Khalid Alshehri, College of Medicine, Bokhour: an Evaluation of a Prestigious Saudi Custom

2nd Prize (tied for second) (L-R) Asem Elhossainy, Saeb Hashish, Nasir Nisar Arain, Amr Elhossainy, Mohammed Dahlawi, Abdallah Al-Ahaideb (missing), College of Medicine, Alfaisal University & Stress Level: A Comparative Study in Riyadh

Khaled bin Bander AlSaud from the College of Science & General Studies explain-ing his poster entitled “Synthesis and Characterization of Graphene and Graphene Containing Metal Nanoparticles”


Research

Mohamed ElAmeen from the College of Engineering describing his work on “Ver-tical Axis Wind Turbines: Investigating the Performance Parameters of NACA 4-Digit-Airfoil Blades”

Mohanad Mahgoub and Sultan Almdallaleh from the College of Medicine answer-ing questions from faculty judges on their poster “Gum Arabic: More Than a Tra-ditional Remedy”

Poster# Authors Poster Title College1 Mohammad Adeeb Sebai, Khaled Ali Alsibai, Abdulmounem Mohammed

Yassin-Kassab, Asim Ibrahim Mahmod, Asem Omar DaghistanySports Medicine Medicine

2 Ziad El-Sawah Fluid Flow Over a Propeller-Driven UAV Engineering

3 Azhar FAROOQUI, Amr Jijakly, Sultan Bahatheq, Raid Albar, Hassan Mandeel, Abdulhameed Baddawi

Impact of Unconcealed Traffic Cameras on the Prevalence of Accident Related CNS Injuries in the City of Riyadh

Medicine

4 Mohanad Mahgoub and Sultan Almdallaleh Gum Arabic: More Than a Traditional Remedy Medicine

5 Karam Hamweyah, AbdulAziz AlKattan, Mohamed Diya Sabbagh, Khalid Alshehri, Osama Abou Saleh, Ahmed Alshibi

Bokhour: An Evaluation of a Prestigious Saudi Custom Medicine

6 Abdulhameed AlMaarik, Abdulwahab Alfraih, Mohammed Khalid Magnetic Elevators: A Look into the Future Engineering

7 Mohamed ElAmeen Vertical Axis Wind Turbines: Investigating the Performance Parameters of NACA 4-Digit-Airfoil Blades

Engineering

8 Tawfik Abou Assale Abdullah Al Amiri, Arif Abdulbaki, Mohamed Diya Sabbagh, Qais S. Saleh

A Preliminary Bioinformatic Analysis of the Septin Gene Promoters

Medicine

9 Abdallah Al-Ahaideb, Saeb Hashish, Nasir Nisar Arain, Amr Elhossainy, Asem Elhossainy and Mohammed Dahlawi

Alfaisal University & Stress Level: A Comparative Study in Riyadh

Medicine

10 Afsan Bin Farid, Mohammed Amer Swid , Arif AbdulBaki, Mohannad Maghoub

Can you improve your memory using red light? Medicine

11 Bilal J. Alturkmani, Osama M. Abosaleh, Mohamad K. Bakro The Effect of Mitochondrial Morphology on its Function Medicine

12 Qais S. Dirar, Eyad Tamim Marashli, Nour Eddin Farouq Alshaaer, Adel Helmi

Body Dysmorphic Disorder Medicine

13 Afsan Bin Farid, Abdulaziz Binaqail, Ahmad Mohammed Alshihri Sleep deprivation and its effect on performance of medical residents and interns in Riyadh, KSA

Medicine

14 Anas Mouaz Al Refaie, Badeea Ferdaous Alferdaous Alazem, Usamah Mohammed Ajmal

Energy Harvesting Shoes Using Magnetic Induction Engineering

15 Anas Al-Rifai Wireless energy transfer Engineering 16 S.M. Naqi Haider Rizvi Piezoelectric Effect in Electricity Generation Engineering17 Motaz N. Alyafi, Abdulhadi A. AlAmodi Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm with Extensive Intracardiac

Thrombus Formation: A Rare Finding in A Cadaver at Alfaisal University

Medicine

18 Naif M.Ghazal, Muhammad H.Alrazaz, Intelligent water level indicator device Engineering19 A’man Inayah, Ahmed AbuZaid, Naser Ahmad, Azhar Farooqi, Dana

Bakheet, Nduna DzimiriDecoding the Signalling Network of the Scaffold Protein Striatin and its Role in Cardiac Function

Medicine

20 Ahmed Abdelaal, Almutassem Kazkaz, Mohammed Alhamed, Sami Alazem, Motaz Chamseddin, Yahya Firoze and Hassan Rahmatullah.

What language of instruction would contribute most to the education of medical doctors in the Arab world: English or Arabic?

Science

21 Khaled bin bander AlSaud synthesis and characterization of graphene and graphene containing metal nanoparticles

Science

Participants in Second Annual Student Poster Competition 11 May 2011 Alfaisal University


he Boeing Company is well known for its role in supporting the Saudi aviation sector. Less well-known is the role that the world’s leading aviation company

plays in supporting human capital development and technology and knowledge transfer programs in the Kingdom.

Since Boeing first established its presence in Saudi Arabia in 1982, the company has continually reinforced its commitment to the Kingdom and its people by initiating and developing relationships with leading educational and training institutions.

Now, almost 30 years later, Boeing’s portfolio of partnerships with educational and training institutions includes the Technical & Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST), King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology (KACST) and Alfaisal University.

Ahmed Jazzar, president of Boeing Saudi Arabia described Boeing’s relationship with the Kingdom as one that is fruitful and built on a strong foundation of mutual trust.

He said: “The Boeing Company has a long-standing relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that goes back several decades. It was a DC-3 offered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to King Abdulaziz Al Saud in 1945 that kick-started

Tthe Kingdom’s aviation industry and it was a Boeing 707 that ushered Saudi Arabian Airlines into the jet age in the 1960s.”

“But our relationship with Saudi Arabia goes beyond airplanes and technology. Developing the Kingdom’s human capital through education is equally important on our agenda. We are very proud of the partnerships we have built. These partnerships are aligned with the priorities of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques. The King placed a strong focus on promoting education and training to further the national development, and progress. We are honored to be able to support these initiatives,” Jazzar added.

One of Boeing’s longest education partnerships in the Kingdom is with Alfaisal University, Saudi Arabia’s first private university. Pledging its support from the University’s inception, the company became a founding member in 2001.

Over almost a decade, Boeing has initiated programs designed to maximize the University’s exposure to its areas of expertise, particularly in the field of Leadership. As part of a strategic initiative, staff and students were given the opportunity to attend a training program at the Boeing Leadership Center (BLC) in St. Louis, USA.

As part of the Boeing Fellowship Program, selected students joined a network of their counterparts from different parts of the world and industry professionals in classes and sessions at the BLC. They were also given the opportunity to visit Boeing’s facilities in Chicago, Seattle, St. Louis and Washington D.C. and

President of Boeing Saudi Arabia: Our partnerships are aligned to the King’s priorities


the Hope Center for Exceptional Needs and the First Welfare Women’s Society, which work with disabled children caregivers and nurses in the Kingdom.

Jazzar said, “Saudi Arabia is a very important partner for Boeing in the Middle East and we are fully committed to supporting the Kingdom’s industry goals, community programs and the development of human capital through education. All these initiatives reflect our commitment and we will continue to build on our successes.”

Boeing in Saudi Arabia: Fast Facts

• Boeing Middle East Limited (BMEL) was founded in Riyadh in 1982

• In 1985 Boeing helped establish the Alsalam Airplane Company and currently holds a majority stake in this modification, maintenance and repair centre for commercial and military airplanes

• Saudi Arabia’s aviation industry began when President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave King Abdulaziz Al Saud a DC-3 in 1945

• Saudi Arabian Airlines became the first Middle East airline to enter the jet age in 1961 when it took delivery of a Boeing 707

• Over almost 50 years, Saudi Arabian Airlines has taken delivery of 114 airplane from Boeing including 737s, 747s and 777s

meet Boeing’s senior executives, engineers, technologists and other professionals.

Boeing continues to build on its successes; the most recent one was the partnership with KAUST as a founding member of KAUST Industrial Collaboration Program (KICP), which was launched in 2009.

In the same year, Boeing and the Technical & Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop the Saudi Aviation Maintenance Institute. This initiative will boost progress of aviation and aerospace industry in Saudi Arabia and will help develop the required skilled manpower to meet expectations and needs of aviation partners in the Kingdom.

Boeing also signed a Memorandum of Understanding in August 2009 with KACST to establish the Decision Support Center (DSC), which will provide modeling and simulation services to enhance military and non-military operations.

The Company is also an active supporter of community initiatives in the Kingdom. Boeing work with the Learning Disability Program at Prince Salman Center for Disability Research (PSCDR), which conducts research to improve language proficiency amongst disabled Arabic speakers and with the Saudi Autistic Society’s Early Intervention program, which educates care-givers in recognizing symptoms of the condition amongst children.

Boeing also supports the National Home Healthcare Foundation,


hat is what we believe in at Student Affairs at Alfaisal-students can greatly enhance their experience of university with the joy of participating in extra-curricular activities.

At the beginning of every year, we at Alfaisal celebrate the arrival of new members of the Alfaisal family. These new members are valuable to us because we have previously been in communication with them for a whole year, to ensure that we fulfill their conviction that Alfaisal will transform their lives.

We welcomed over 160 new students, at the beginning of the new academic year, including UPP graduates, direct applicants from high school, and transfer students from other colleges. New students came from all over the world, representing fifteen different countries from the Gulf region, Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. This diversity fulfils the commitment of Alfaisal University to provide equal opportunities to all applicants, regardless of their racial, ethnic or social background.

Starting with the Orientation Day, students are introduced to college life by a presentation, providing them with important information about the campus and its facilities, and have their concerns about the transition to college life addressed. What was really special about Orientation Day this year was that many Alfaisal Students were involved in organizing and preparing the event, and were encouraged to utilize their own experience of student life to help the new students settle in as smoothly and quickly as possible.

So, how can we make you Happy???

Students generally think they should always be Happy!! We at Student Affairs agree with them. The only difference is that we provide answers to the question of how they should be happy.

To do this we make sure that the students are equipped to access the best possible support for them to excel in their studies-

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Let’s make it successful and joyful.

Student Affairs


academic, financial, social and other modes of support. We also provide a conducive environment for students to express themselves in extra- curricular activities, and encourage them to gain the rewarding experience of selecting and organizing different kinds of social events. Students who are facing difficulties with their studies are always welcome to knock on our door and share their problems with us, so that we can discuss them and provide sensible, practical advice.

Here are just some reasons why our students should be Happy:

Another year of Student Achievement

Last year was full of high achievement by our students! Some of them participated in international visits to leading global companies, while others have completed a clinical research training program in North America. One Alfaisal medical student even discovered an error in the worldwide student handbook, Gray’s Anatomy. On another front, we were able to support our students in the realization of one of their dreams, the first ever production and performance of a play at The king Faisal Foundation Auditorium, on 26th May 2010. Present at the performance, along with staff, faculty, students and their families, was HH Prince Bandar Al Saud, the University’s Chairman of the Executive Committee and Member of the Board of Trustees.

Students who excel have a special place among us.

Alfaisal is committed to attracting and nurturing an outstanding quality of student, therefore we are delighted in the past to have granted scholarships to over 65 new students to help finance their studies. This was possible through the generous grants provided by the various Alfaisal donors:

• The King Faisal Foundation, with The Prince Sultan Program

• Atheeb Trading Company, with the leadership of HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Ahmad bin Abdulaziz

• Saudi businessman, HE Abdalaziz bin Ali Al Showaier

• Alfaisal University itself.

In addition, the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) is to provide around 80 new Saudi students with scholarships.

All of the above add to the ongoing or current scholarships from MOHE and other Alfaisal donors.

Student Affairs


Faculty Interview

Rehan Ahmed, Ph.D.MIMechE, MASM, CEng, FHEAProfessor of Mechanical EngineeringCollege of Engineering, Alfaisal Univer-sity

Dr. Rehan Ahmed completed his Mas-ters and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Brunel University London before joining the University of Cambridge in 1999. He subsequently took a tenured faculty position at Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh before joining Alfaisal Univer-

sity in 2009.

Academic achievements:Dr. Rehan Ahmed is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Member of Peer Review College of the Engineering and Physical Sci-ences Research Council the UK. This research council is the main funding body for research in the UK in Engineering and Physical Sci-ences and allocates research funds in excess of £700 Million per year. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of Journal of Thermal Spray Technology and Advances in Mechanical Engineering.

According to ISI Web of Knowledge Dr. Rehan Ahmed is an interna-tionally leading author in the area of Fatigue of Surface Coatings. This multidisciplinary research area involves the science of Nano-materials, Mechanics and Tribology. Over the last ten years he has secured, both as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator, research grants in excess of £1.7 Million from Research Councils and Industry. He also recently filed a patent in the design of orthopedic implants, which is expected to improve the quality of life of orthopedic patients by reducing the recov-ery time and implant rejection rates. Over the last decade, Dr. Rehan Ahmed has acted as a consultant for some of the major companies around the globe including the BBC, Raytheon Systems and Weath-erford UK. He was the Director of Graduate Program in Materials En-gineering and also the Academic Liaison Officer for the Institution of Mechanical Engineers at Heriot-Watt University, UK.

Q. Why have you chosen Alfaisal?I chose Alfaisal University because of its aspiration to be a leader in higher education in this part of the world. The profession of engineer-ing is about improving the quality of human life which translates in im-proving our society, and as an academic there is no better legacy than setting-up quality education systems, without which a society cannot develop. I wanted to be a part of this unique and exciting project be-cause, I felt that I could make a difference in laying the foundations of this University on the basis of my passion and professional experience in higher education.

Q. Where do you see Alfaisal in 10 years?The founders of Alfaisal University had a grand vision, the implementa-tion of which depends upon ensuring that it nurtures the right scholarly environment. The realization of this vision is like the growth of a small plant, which can grow to become a strong and fruitful tree if it continues to get the care and environment which is critical to its growth. We have already had a number of successes in our three years of operation, and our University can rightly feel proud about it. I believe that as long as the small plant is nurtured properly, Alfaisal University has the potential and the scholarly experience in its faculty to be amongst the top Univer-sities in the Middle East within the next ten years.

Alexander Kouzmenko, Ph.D.Professor of Molecular BiologyCollege of Science & General StudiesAlfaisal University

Dr. Alexander Kouzmenko joined Alfais-al University in August 2008, as Profes-sor of Molecular Biology and prior to this was at the University of Tokyo, Japan’s premier university, as a research profes-sor for 7 years.

Academic achievements:I consider my work at world leading research centers with some of the most influential scientists as being amongst my most cherished profes-sional achievements and blessings. I am eternally indebted to my doc-toral mentors, Drs. Rudolf Salganik and Dmitry Knorre, both members of the Russian Academy of Sciences and members of a dozen other national academies.

When I was in Heidelberg, I was privileged to know and work with Dr. Harald zur Hauzen, Director of the German Cancer Research Center and the 2008 Nobel Prize winner in Physiology and Medicine. With his support and recommendation, I later joined the research team of Dr. Werner Franke, one of the world’s leading figures in cell biology throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and whose many pupils are present leaders in the field of molecular biology and cancer research. Meet-ing Dr. Colin Masters, a renowned expert in Alzheimer disease and the1997 winner of the King Faisal International Prize in Medicine, led me to explore and later move to the University of Melbourne, where I established a new laboratory for molecular neuroscience, later to become a part of the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria. A 2002 Invitation Fellowship Award from the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science afforded me the privilege of working at one of the world’s top universities and of collaborating with some of Japan’s most prominent scientists. Among these, I particularly wish to acknowledge Dr. Shigeaki Kato, my close friend and mentor, and authority in the fields of transcriptional regulation and signal transduction.

Q. Why have you chosen Alfaisal?It was my good fortune to apply and be chosen by Alfaisal. Being a founding faculty member of a visionary university, named after and supported by the sons of a great leader and revered king, in one of the world’s fastest growing and most influential countries with a long, distinguished history and culture, is a great honor and responsibility. I am grateful for the privilege of working for Alfaisal University and to be given an opportunity to experience the life and the culture of this unique, and for many, mysterious and inaccessible Kingdom, and to make new friends here.

Q. Where do you see Alfaisal in 10 years?The reputation of a university is best reflected in the quality and career accomplishments of its graduates. The quality of graduates and their ability to compete very much depend on the quality of the faculty. A high university ranking is also unattainable without intensive research activ-ity by the faculty and students. Obviously, attracting and retaining world class faculty, quality students, and building state-of-the-art research facilities should be the primary goal and concern of Alfaisal University.

During the next 10 years, Alfaisal has not merely to establish itself as a mature university, but it must also compete with well-established and successful counterparts in the country and the region. Realistically, and considering where we are now, it is my hope that, in 10 years, Alfaisal will become one of the most successful and prestigious universities in the Kingdom and a recognizable name and prominent intellectual force among Middle Eastern universities.

One of the many things that Alfaisal University prides itself on is its highly reputed and esteemed faculty members, who bring with them a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Here we give you the opportunity to meet some of our academic scholars who are committed to making our educational mission a reality.

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Faculty Interview


With its expansive display and large, onscreen keyboard, iPad is perfect for taking notes in class. In landscape view, you see not only a note-taking page but a list of all your notes. iPad even circles the current note in red, so you can see where you are at a glance.

2. Social Networking

Social Networking is a term commonly used nowadays to describe web-based applications used for informal and semi-informal communications between people of common interests and goals. In addition, social networking can be used for many other purposes, such as finding a job, joining a group or forum, blogging, and knowing more about friends’ personal lives. The most commonly used ones are: Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn and many more.

Now social networks are used by more than 300,000 businesses and 600 million people are actively involved. They are commonly used to create a community of associates, for career advancement, manage and organize events, and marketing purposes. However, just like anything else, social networks have drawback such as: identity theft (someone presenting him or herself as you), use by scammers (tricking users to install malicious software), hacking to access confidential information, and also users can become ‘addicted’ to social networks with severe impact on work and social commitments.

With the availability of tools to bypass the firewalls, the higher education institutions are facing big challenges to control the social networks. The responses vary from total ban, to proceed with caution, to fully open. The root causes of such diversity are due to:

Impact on the students if a faculty rejects request to be friend.

Differentiating between faculty professional and friendship profiles.

Social network versus face-to-face communications.

Content controls of published information.

3. What is cloud computing ?

Cloud computing refers to the provision of computational resources on demand via a computer network, It can be

Apps: with iPad, the classroom is always at your fingertips. At the App Store, there are thousands of apps available to download. Students can track their assignments, take notes, and study for finals. Teachers can give lessons, monitor progress, and stay organized. And that’s just the beginning.

The three iWork productivity applications help students and teachers put together professional-looking documents, presentations, and spreadsheets no matter where they are. Pages is a powerful word processor with simple-to-use layout tools and a large onscreen keyboard. With Keynote, it’s easy to create presentations with stunning animations and effects. And Numbers lets students and teachers build compelling, attractive spreadsheets in minutes, including tables and charts. You can record HD video on iPad, then edit on the large, Multi-Touch display.

iTunes U on iPad: Apple’s iTunes U is home to more than 350,000 free lectures, videos, books, and podcasts from learning institutions all over the world. Universities such as Yale, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Oxford, Cambridge, MIT, Bejing Open University, and the University of Tokyo, as well as broadcasters such as PBS, offer free content on iTunes U. Content ranges from lectures and presentations to syllabi and campus maps. Accessing iTunes U is simple. Just tap More in the iTunes app and you’ll see iTunes U. From there, browse and download content directly to your iPad.

iBooks on iPad: a convenient way to browse, sample, and buy books. Simply download the free iBooks app from the App Store. Just tap it to start reading. Easy-to-use tools let you keep your place with bookmarks, highlight text and dates, and make notes. You can also save, read, and print PDFs — great for class handouts, research papers, and more.

IT Services1. Using iPhone2 for Education

IT Department


compared to the supply of electricity and gas, or the provision of telephone, television and postal services. Similarly, cloud computing offers computer application developers and users an abstract view of services that simplifies and ignores much of the details and inner workings. A provider’s offering of abstracted Internet services is often called “The Cloud”.

Some analysts define cloud computing narrowly as an updated version of utility computing: basically virtual servers available over the Internet. Others go very broad, arguing that anything you consume outside the firewall is “in the cloud,” including conventional outsourcing. Cloud computing comes into focus only when you think about what IT always needs: a way to increase capacity or add capabilities on the fly without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software. Cloud computing encompasses any subscription-based or pay-per-use service that, in real time over the Internet, extends IT’s existing capabilities.

4. What is MoodleMoodle is an Open Source Course Management System (CMS), also known as a Learning Management System (LMS) for producing Internet-based courses and web sites. Moodle is used by a variety of education and business institutions. The focus of the Moodle is always on giving educators the best tools to manage and promote learning. Some basic world-wide statistics on Moodle community:

Universities using Moodle 54,406 (in Saudi Arabia 119 Educational Establishments)

Countries 213

Courses 4,428,495

Users 41,504,799

Teachers 1,139,968

For Alfaisal University, below chart shows number of user accesses per month:

A solid-state drive (SSD) is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of

IT Department

providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive. SSDs are distinguished from traditional hard disk drives (HDDs), which are electromechanical devices containing spinning disks and movable read/write heads. SSDs, in contrast, use microchips which retain data in non-volatile memory chips and contain no moving parts. Compared to electromechanical HDDs, SSDs are typically less susceptible to physical shock, quieter, and have lower access time and latency. SSDs use the same interface as hard disk drives, thus easily replacing them in most applications.

Most SSDs use NAND-based flash memory, which retains memory even without power. SSDs using volatile random-access memory (RAM) also exist for situations which require even faster access, but do not necessarily need data persistence after power loss, or use external power or batteries to maintain the data after power is removed. A hybrid drive combines the features of an HDD and an SSD in one unit.

5. Recently launched Services from the IT Services

A simplified and interactive admissions site http://admissions.alfaisal.edu

Alfaisal Knowledge Hub on Alfaisal Portal http://portal.alfaisal.edu

Follow Alfaisal University:

• Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/alfaisaluniv)

• Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/alfaisaluniv)


he space to house the Alfaisal University Library is currently under construction and is expected to be finished during the Spring of 2012. The library space will be approximately 11,600 square meters, featuring areas for quiet reading, private and group study, PC and Mac computer

labs, and expanded shelving space for books. As designed, the library building will be able to separately accommodate the male and female students, staff, and faculty of Alfaisal University. The library is currently located in two classrooms on the ground floor of the College of Business. At the present time, the students and staff have access to over 40,000 electronic books and

journals through the various online databases the library has subscribed to. This electronic library has been named in honor of the late Hassan Abbas Sharbatly, whose family has provided funding through a donation from the Sharbatly Foundation. The Sharbatly Foundation and family have been very generous in donating significant financial resources to provide a wide range of electronic books, journals and equipment to the Alfaisal community. The Sharbatly Foundation has made a multi-year commitment to provide funding for digital resources. In addition, funds have been designated to establish an endowment for the future electronic needs of the University community .

Alfaisal University Library

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Alfaisal Library


On the evening of Wednesday 26th May, at the KFF building, the University’s Drama Club staged their inaugural performance. Cryptically entitled ‘The Cloak’, with an equally intriguing subtitle, ‘Reflections and Refractions’, it was a play written and produced by Bara AlMakadma which also featured samples of poetry by fellow second-year medic, Aman Talal Inayah. Attended by His Highness Prince Bandar, and exclusively sponsored by Al Faisaliah Group Holding and HRH Prince Mohammad A. K. Faisal Al-Saud, the production was memorable for several reasons. The dedicated planning and attention to detail that was everywhere apparent, and which truly evoked the sense of a ‘special night’, from the smart, professional-looking programmes, to the pleasant, helpful ushers, to the post-performance discussion and buffet. Then there was the sheer exuberance with which study-laden, spare-time actors threw themselves into their respective parts. And finally the sense of ambitious, creative endeavour which this philosophical tragi-comedy exuded, from its use of poetry recital to the enigmatic cloak-wearing figure himself.

The impressions of exuberance and ambition were especially appropriate for a play which was all about the promise, and the pitfalls, of youth. The plot was simple: an ardent young student, Omar (played by Inayah), innocently shares his idea for a research project with a group of friends, one of whom, from a wealthy, influential family, steals the idea and gains funding from an equally cynical university administration. After the failed attempts of Omar’s well-meaning but uncomprehending father to soothe his son’s bitter sense of injustice, comes an ambiguous climax, in which a stooped and exhausted Omar,

Uncloaked: Theatrical Talent at AlfaisalReview by Dr. Simon Hull, Assistant Professor of English

now an old man, has the stage to himself. He has earlier been handed a black cloak by a gloomy, metaphysical being, the ‘metaphor’, who seems to represent a malevolent personification of Fate itself, as he laughs cruelly on bestowing the garment. Omar finally casts off the black cloak - a symbol, as I took it, of unfulfilled potential - and with his last ounce of energy holds aloft a file of research material, and utters a brief exclamation before slumping unconscious in his chair. Has he fallen asleep, or has he died? Did he complete his project or give up on it, and if he did complete it, was it worth the evident self-sacrifice? And so, was his concluding cry that of triumph or despair? I prefer in each case to interpret the ending in the latter way, as a tragic finale, because then we feel the sense of loss and waste more keenly, hence too the preciousness and vulnerability of youthful enterprise.

Student Drama Review


Although the dialogue was a little stilted or awkward at times, in the circumstances this was an entirely understandable and commendably minor flaw, given the language in which the students were working and their lack of stage experience and training. All the actors seemed confident, composed, and word-perfect in their respective performances. The anger and frustration of Omar worked well against the placid equanimity of his father (Ahmad Adi). I also enjoyed the slick, sharp-suited cynicism of the university president (Nasir Salamat), the smiling betrayer, Khaled (Abdullah AlShammiri), and the two wonderfully wicked parodies of eccentric and egocentric lecturers (Ziad El-Sawah and Bara AlMakadma). These latter two performances gave the play a vital, enlivening element of comedy to offset the seriousness elsewhere, in particular the brooding presence of the cloaked figure at centre-stage (Mohammad Mathbout). Adding a further, poignant dimension was the yearning lyricism of Aman Inayah’s poetry, as recited in turn by the main characters. Therefore, given all of this hard work and creativity, I couldn’t help wishing more had been there to appreciate it (although I was pleased to see His Royal Highness, Prince Bandar among

the audience). Allowing for the imperative and inescapable commitments which inevitably reduced the size of audience, I still found the attendance for this important as well as entertaining event a little disappointing. So, if I may be permitted to end this review on a slightly ‘preachy’ note, here’s why we should all give our full support to the future efforts of the Drama Club. The production of ‘The Cloak’ represents a hugely welcome initiative by hard-working medical and engineering students, who, through their involvement in this project, implicitly recognise the vital role of the arts - in terms of creative self-expression, intellectual development, and simple, life-enhancing pleasure - in the life of a University and the society it serves. This play was not only produced and acted by Alfaisal students, which would be impressive enough, but actually conceived and written by an Alfaisal student. We at Alfaisal should attend to the play’s message about the fulfillment of youth’s potential and ensure that we wholeheartedly support our students’ non-vocational, artistic endeavours, as much as their vocational, academic ones.

Student Drama Review


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Book ReviewBy: Yogi Ahmad Erlangga

he Killer Angels. Michael Shaara. New York: Random House, 2003. First published in 1974. 355 pp.

It was early Spring 2004, when I got The Killer Angels from a bookstore at Denver International

Airport, US, hoping it might help me kill the next ten hours flight to Amsterdam. There were three reasons. First, the “Pulitzer-winning” (awarded in 1975) blurb bought my attention. Secondly, it was about the American civil war – about Gettysburg; I had heard of this event before, but was too poor a student to pay any attention. Thirdly, it was not about how the Americans slaughtered 50,000 plus among themselves in three bloody

days (July 1-3, 1863); John Rambo did better in Vietnam.

The story begins when the Army of Northern Virginia (ANV) in its invasion of the North lost contact with its cavalry, the eyes and the screen of an army, and knew just in the very last minutes that the Army of Potomac (AP)

had made a great pursuit. The AP was just so close, unaware, that the thinly stretched ANV

could be cut into pieces. General Robert E. Lee, commanding ANV, ordered all scattered corps to unite. As fast infantry march could only be executed on roads, geography destined all corps of the two armies to converge at the same time in Gettysburg. The follow-up event

is well known.

There are countless writings about the American civil war (1861-1865), and Gettysburg, in

particular. Many of them focus more on historical perspectives and analysis (a few good examples are James McPherson’s Hallowed Ground: A Walk at Gettysburg and Stephen Sears’s Gettysburg) and some

of them are just fiction (for instance, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and a more recent Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain, a very good one and available at Hayat Mall’s Jareer). But there is almost nothing that combines the two, with success. Shaara’s work is among this tiny fraction. Shaara focused on three historical events during the three days for the setting of his story: Gen. Buford’s cavalry defense, the battle of Little Round-Top, and the infamous Picket’s charge. The author’s intention was however to avoid a cold history book, and to bring life to history. Clearly, no busy footnote appears. He put together some factual characters and their scattered accounts, memoirs, and recorded conversations into one unified flowing, touching, and memorable story (like a perfect Dutch rijsttafel). The book is organized like a Shakespear play, but with more narrative: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, each has Lee, Chamberlain, Longstreet, Buford, etc. A history book then turns into a novel.

Each chapter speaks about the humanity side of history, ideals, duties, loyalties, loves, faiths fought for. It is interesting that many were close friends before the war, and then were prepared physically - but not mentally - to put an end to their dearest friend’s life, someday. Gen. Longstreet said, “Those in blue do not seem to be enemies at all to me.” How noble qualities fail in bridging differences and end up in bloodshed probably remains relevant even today.

As a novel reader, what I enjoy, among others, is the dialogue Shaara uses. Many are simply taken from memoirs, some with slight adaptations, written in the late 1800s, when English was widely used by folks just as a spoken language, with no need for grammar, with Southern accent, or englishized German of Pennsylvanian farmers (Mine Gott! I’se heard de war before). This approach successfully brings life to the story and the feeling of being part of it (not part of Hayat Mall).

As a history lover, I am probably among a few non Americans, who have interest in the American civil war. This interest came after reading The Killer Angels. If I am guilty for this, I shall forward the blame to Shaara.

Yogi Ahmad Erlangga

Book Review

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