ECE Research Strategy

Introduction:

Having a dedicated research strategy that focuses on locally produced research within our department is vital. It leverages the unique strengths of our faculty members and students, promoting homegrown innovation and tailored solutions to regional challenges. This approach not only enhances the practical learning experience for students but also fosters a collaborative environment where faculty and students can co-create knowledge. By concentrating on research conducted in our own labs, we increase the capacity for specialized advancements, ensuring that the outcomes are directly applicable to local industry needs and community issues.

This strategic focus ultimately supports the department's mission to contribute meaningfully to local and national development while cultivating a culture of academic excellence and practical impact. In this document we propose recommendations that are based on the evaluation of the current state of the department’s research activities, including master's and doctoral theses, research groups, and related research centers, as well as the organizational procedures for postgraduate studies within the department. In addition, we reviewed a draft of the department's strategic plan that was built upon the university’s fourth strategic plan and consulted experienced researchers for expert advice. The priorities of national research and global trends in the fields related to the department were also examined.

Areas:
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Biomedical Area


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Computer Area


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Electronics Area


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Power Area


Recommendations:

  1.     
    Define research priorities for each of the four programs, aligned with national priorities and global research trends, focusing on these to build expertise and revising them every three years.
  2.     
    Appoint a research coordinator for each program, whose responsibilities include:
    • ● Supervising research activities in the group and coordinating among faculty researchers and department management.
    • ● Guiding the group towards research priorities.
    • ● Enhancing the role of postgraduate students in localizing research within the department.
    • ● Ensuring the application of research policies and laboratory practices within the group.
    • ● Periodically reviewing postgraduate admission conditions and proposing improvements based on data and statistics.
    • ● Collecting data and achievements of department researchers through scientific channels such as ISI and Scopus.
    • ● Exploring and monitoring research funding opportunities and announcing them early to enhance readiness for proposal submission and funding acquisition.
  3.     
    Promote the utilization of distinguished international researchers in guiding and advising department members through organized visits and workshops.
  4.     
    Encourage veteran professors to mentor new researchers in successfully building their research careers.
  5.     
    Propose reducing the teaching load for faculty during one semester, preferably the second semester, to allow them to focus on research and increase productivity. This includes a well-planned schedule for participating in conferences and publishing research papers.
  6.     
    Implement a mechanism for accepting and monitoring postgraduate research proposals to ensure their quality and alignment with the department's research priorities.
  7.     
    Enhance the use of international postgraduate students in operating research laboratories and organizing the aforementioned research activities.
  8.     
    Require all postgraduate students to present a scientific seminar before graduation in the department to foster a research culture, highlight research activities, enhance interaction and idea exchange among students and faculty, and develop students' soft skills and prepare them for international forums.
  9.     
    Utilize departmental facilities to offer services for a nominal fee to beneficiaries of research institute projects or other externally funded research projects, supporting the development of research facilities and activities within the department.
  10.     
    Integrate research priorities into recruitment and talent acquisition processes for the department.
  11.     
    Attract distinguished researchers and engage them for the purposes of localizing research within the department, with responsibilities including:
    • ● Activating and operating research laboratories in the department.
    • ● Attracting and supervising postgraduate students.
    • ● Mentoring new Saudi members of the department and guiding them.
    • ● Participating in writing outstanding research proposals to secure funding for departmental research.
    • ● Forming and supervising research groups.
  12.     
    Work on attracting international postgraduate students through a clear recruitment plan, including intensified advertising and external communication before opening admissions for the university’s postgraduate programs each year, using various means such as:
    • ● Advertising through social media and marketing the department’s postgraduate programs and research topics aligned with the department's research priorities.
    • ● Activating academic partnerships with international universities in targeted countries to attract their bachelor's degree graduates for postgraduate studies in the department.
    • ● Engaging with entities interested in cultural exchange and establishing agreements through the support of ministries of foreign affairs, culture, and education.

  1.     
    Emphasize the importance of localizing research activities within the department in collaboration with other departments and research centers within the university, to enhance the department’s cumulative knowledge and scientific capabilities, supporting national economic and knowledge-based objectives.
  2.     
    Activate departmental scientific seminars where postgraduate students and their supervisors present their ongoing research and development processes.
  3.     
    Necessity of holding specialized seminars in each of the four program areas, coordinated with the program’s research coordinator, to encourage researchers to regularly present seminars about their research. The goal is to achieve a balance in seminar topics to comprehensively cover the department's research priorities.
  4.     
    Organize a periodic exhibition named "Department's Research and Innovation Exhibition" at the end of each academic semester, including the following activities:
    • ○ A poster exhibition of research publications by postgraduate students and interested outstanding undergraduate students.
    • ○ Concurrent seminars during the exhibition where faculty and postgraduate students present their latest research and benefit from scientific discussions attended by a large number of postgraduate students and faculty members.
  5.     
    Encourage and support department students to participate in the university-level 3MT competition to demonstrate the department's strength in research.
  6.     
    Encourage and attract research experts to hold seminars and workshops to benefit from their expertise in:
    • ○ Forming and managing research teams.
    • ○ Forming and managing internal and external research partnerships.
    • ○ Skills in preparing research proposals for various programs and projects, both internal and external.
    • ○ Attracting competent researchers.
    • ○ Managing research projects, including managing financial and physical resources and preparing technical and financial reports.
    • ○ Sharing their experiences and transferring their expertise to motivate other department members.
  7.     
    Establish a symbolic or modest monetary prize awarded to postgraduate students for the best research of the academic year, with one prize for each of the four programs, provided the research aligns with the department's research priorities for the program. Additional moral prizes may be given for second and third places to encourage students.