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Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the KAU Fifth Annual Scientific Endowment Meeting, HE Prof Osama S. Tayyeb, KAU President, has stressed the pivotal role of scientific endowment in scientific research.
To emphasize the fact, he said that KAU was incepted 40 years ago at the initiative of a group of dignitaries and businessmen, who endowed land and cash and offered thoughts and time.
Dr Isam H. Kawthar, Executive Director of the KAU Scientific Endowment, said the KAU scientific endowment was the first of its kind in the Middle East, and that many bequests had been made to it in support of scientific research in various fields, including conducting research studies on the effect of food preservatives toxicity on embryos development, the exposure of intact children of diabetic parents to autonomic nervous system problems, in addition to studying the causes and preventative remedy of spinsterhood.
He also added that the university had entered into partnerships with some companies to support scientific endowment, revealing that the KAU scientific endowment's capital had hit SR30 million, in addition to SR15 million of non-monetary assets' value.
He also revealed that an amount of SR3 million had been donated by well-wishers during the ceremony alone.
Ahmed Eid, Representative of the General Presidency of Youth Welfare, spoke about the fruitful cooperation between the General Presidency of Youth Welfare and King Abdulaziz University in the field of scientific endowment, stressing that the goals of the General Presidency of Youth Welfare, under the chairmanship of HRH Prince Sultan ibn Fahd ibn Abdulaziz, were not confined to sports, but had also expanded to include fostering the ethical and moral values among younger generations.
Sheikh Rashid Al-Haza'a, the Judicial Inspector of the Supreme Judiciary Council, recommended the establishment of a scientific endowment office, similar to that of Jeddah Court of Justice, in each and every court with the aim of encouraging benefactors and waqf makers to get involved in this gracious project.
Yousif A. Al-Ahmadi, Board Chairman of Al-Afkar Company, suggested a share issue be launched to finance scientific endowment, stressing that the idea of investing in scientific endowment would be of benefit to the project and the shareholders alike.
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