Join Kent State President Beverly Warren as she introduces Haifa Jamal Al-Lail, Ph.D., president of Effat University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Al-Lail is this year's keynote speaker who will be kicking off Kent State's International Education Week. Al-Lail will speak Nov. 7, in the Kent Student Center Kiva at 5 p.m. Prior to the event, President Warren and President Al-Lail will take part in a signing ceremony to establish a partnership between both universities.
About Dr. Al-Lail
Dr. Haifa Jamal Al-Lail joined Effat University in 1998 and began her tenure as President in May 2008. She is one of the winners of 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005 and the winner of the Distinguished Arabian Woman Award in 2005. A respected author and researcher, she is well known for her expertise in privatization, and women empowerment. She is the author of a number of articles, and has developed and taught undergraduate and graduate courses on topics like public administration and public policy.
Before joining Effat University, Dr. Jamal Al-Lail was the first Dean of Girls’ Campus in King Abdulaziz University. She was a visiting scholar at John F. Kennedy School of Government in 2001. She participated in the Summer Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration in Bryan Mawr College in 2000. She is a native of Saudi Arabia and received a PhD in Public Policy from the University of Southern California.
About Effat University
Effat University is a leading private non-profit institution of higher education for women in Saudi Arabia, operating under the umbrella of King Faisal’s Charitable Foundation.
Effat University is strengthened by the legacy of its founder, Queen Effat Al-Thunayan Al-Saud, wife of the late King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz. In 1999, it started offering its academic programs under the name of Effat College.
In order to be a center of academic excellence, Effat College launched different academic programs taught in English to expand the horizons of women in Saudi Arabia and raise their educational level. The first two departments established by the college were the Computer Science and Kindergarten Departments. These programs aimed to prepare women for the job market and increase their chances to find work opportunities.
Notwithstanding its academic orientation, Effat University has paid equal attention to the different constituents of the community and their needs through its Executive Education and Community Services Institute (EECSI). The EECSI is the bridge between Effat University and the national and international community. The Institute consists of five centers that offer diplomas, short courses, and customized programs covering a wide range of areas to meet the needs of the individuals or groups of the communities it serves. The EECSI aims to provide opportunities that help them excel professionally and at the personal level; to produce skilled individuals and ensure sustained and rich relationship for the betterment of the community; and to develop and sustain partnerships with leading academic and professional institutions nationally and internationally. To attain the best results the University signed agreements and MOUs with a number of international as well as national reputable institutions including the Sorbonne University; Prince's School for Traditional Arts; ICDL; Microsoft; DAADS; Cisco Networking Academy; Human Resources Development Fund; Islamic Development Bank; and National Commercial Bank.