King Khalid University announced the launch of the ninth edition of its Excellence Awards. The university's deanship of development and quality is now accepting nominations across various categories and branches. The nomination period will run from 14 Safar 1446 to 30 Rabi' al-Awwal 1446 through the award's online platform: https://awards.kku.edu.sa.

This comprehensive development of the King Khalid University Excellence Awards aligns with the university's 2030 strategy, which is in line with the development strategy of the Asir region and is rooted in Saudi Vision 2030. The awards aim to drive a shift in academic, research, administrative, and community service performance. The university seeks to stimulate its academic, administrative, and student community to innovate and create, contributing to excellence in various fields and elevating the quality of university life.

Prof. Salem bin Ahmed Al-Qarni, Dean of the Deanship of Development and Quality, explained that the development of the King Khalid University Excellence Awards is a proactive step to align the university's strategic objectives with the rapid transformations in education at the local and international levels. This development is part of ongoing efforts to improve the outcomes of education to meet the requirements of the labor market and sustainable development, as well as to enhance research and innovation to support community and economic needs.

Al-Qarni indicated that the Excellence Awards have been restructured in line with the university's 2030 vision. New categories have been introduced, and existing categories have been redesigned to be more comprehensive and suitable for current and future needs. Modern evaluation criteria focused on quality and innovation have also been adopted, enhancing the award's value and encouraging individuals and entities to actively participate.

As part of the improvements made to the Excellence Awards, four new categories have been introduced under the education and learning axis: quality of education, which focuses on improving the quality of education provided to students and developing the educational process continuously; practices to develop the education and learning experience, which concern initiatives that contribute to improving the student's educational experience; the distinguished student, which targets students who have demonstrated academic excellence and outstanding activity in university life; and the exemplary student, which aims to honor students who represent role models in behavior and values.

In the research and innovation axis, the university has introduced four new categories, including: research, which honors researchers who have conducted impactful research that aligns with the needs and aspirations of society; authorship and translation, which celebrates achievements in scientific publishing and translation; innovation, which encourages the development of new solutions to existing problems; and funded research projects, which focus on research that has received external or internal funding and has proven its feasibility and impact.

In the institutional excellence axis, five new categories have been added, including: best quality initiatives, which honor projects and initiatives that have had a tangible positive impact on the university; excellence in job performance, which recognizes the exceptional efforts of individuals in the administrative field; enhancing institutional reputation, which aims to honor efforts that have contributed to improving the university's image; excellence for scholarship holders, which celebrates the achievements of scholarship students who represent the university abroad; and digital transformation, which honors innovations that have contributed to supporting and enriching digital transformation within the university.

In terms of community service, revenue generation, and university life, three additional categories have been introduced: community service and volunteer work, which enhances the university's participation in developing the local community; initiatives to develop and sustain revenue, which focus on initiatives that have contributed to diversifying the university's sources of income and ensuring its sustainability; and practices to improve the quality of university life, which are concerned with initiatives that have raised the quality of life within the university campus.

To ensure transparency and fairness, a comprehensive governance mechanism has been put in place to manage the awards, covering all stages of the awards. These stages begin with the nomination phase, where nominations are received from various target groups. This is followed by the screening phase, where nominations are reviewed to ensure they meet the specified criteria. The awards then move to the judging phase, which is conducted by specialized committees composed of experts from within the university. Finally, the results are announced, and the winners are honored at an official ceremony that expresses the university's appreciation for their achievements.

Al-Qarni added that the King Khalid University Excellence Awards have also seen the design of a new visual identity that reflects the values and aspirations of the university. This identity has been applied to all awards and related models, enhancing the sense of belonging and pride of participants in this competition.

King Khalid University aims through these awards to honor distinguished and creative individuals in all academic, administrative, and research fields, and to motivate them to achieve higher levels of performance and creativity. These awards also form part of the university's ambitious vision to achieve leadership and excellence at both the local and international levels. The university affirms its commitment to develop the awards to keep pace with future changes and challenges, ensuring its continued effectiveness as a tool for stimulating innovation and excellence among members of the university community. Through these awards, the university seeks to create a distinguished educational and research environment that encourages innovation and creativity, and drives academic and administrative development, contributing to the realization of the university's 2030 strategy and placing it at the forefront of universities at the local and global levels.