Riyadh, April 10, 2019, SPA -- Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Dr. Hamad bin Mohammed Al Al-Sheikh, Minister of Education, inaugurated here today the 8th International Exhibition and Conference on Higher Education 2019 (IECHE 2019) under the title "Transforming Saudi Universities in an Era of Change". A speech ceremony was held on this occasion. During the ceremony, Dr. Hamad delivered a speech in which he lauded the great support the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince were providing for the higher education's sector, affirming that the universities' role is very important to achieve the Kingdom Vision 2030 through innovation and creation in order to build the economy and society. The Minister of Education disclosed that a new developed university system will be announced soon, adding that this system seeks to provide new governance for the universities and adopt various funding sources in addition to transformation some Saudi universities, as a first phase, into non-profit institutions. IECHE 2019 draws attention to the need for the university to adapt itself with a changing world. The education experience of the generation teaching could not be more different from the experiences that today’s students have lived before being enrolled in a university. Technical resources and information easily available on the Internet today require an overhaul of the university experience. Universities need to reconsider how best to leverage time that students spend in the pursuit of their degree, the profile of the individuals they hope to graduate, and the skills their graduates will need. Universities must become better connected and more responsive to the rapid changes beyond the campus. New governance models and leadership styles will be necessary to ensure that these unique communities adapt and continue to meet the critical needs of the societies that host them. --SPA 17:01 LOCAL TIME 14:01 GMT 0018 www.spa.gov.sa/w1083064