Standard 4

On October 31, 2022, the Guidance and Counseling Unit (GCU) of King Khalid University held a workshop in collaboration with the Saudi Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf). The event also included an appreciation ceremony to recognize high-achieving students, dedicated faculty members, and supportive staff. Dean Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, Chairman Dr. Ibrahim Alasmari, and GCU Head Dr. Dawood Mahdi led the proceedings. The event began with Muhammad Jaber Al-Harbi, a career counselor at Hadaf, who introduced the attendees to the various employment support programs offered by Hadaf. Al-Harbi's comprehensive presentation titled "The Art of Dealing with Tests" was particularly well-received by participants for its interactive nature. It motivated students to formulate a plan of action for their upcoming final exams. Following the informative session, the ceremony recognized students who had attained a cumulative grade point average of 4.5 or higher for the second semester of 1443. The attendees congratulated the high achievers and expressed their best wishes for their continued academic success. Dr. Mahdi and the leadership team then awarded Muhammad Jaber Al-Harbi, a Hadaf career counselor, with a certificate of appreciation for his insightful presentation. The celebration then shifted to recognize the faculty, notably highlighting the administrative staff's pivotal role in the program's recent milestones. These staff members played a crucial part in the seamless transition to the new campus, skillfully coordinating the logistics and ensuring that every detail, from classroom setups to technology installations, was flawlessly executed. Their proficiency was further demonstrated in the procurement and setup of advanced facilities and equipment, which have significantly elevated the educational experience. Dean Al-Melhi, acknowledging these contributions, stated, "Your commitment and skill in navigating our move to the new campus, upgrading our facilities, and bringing in state-of-the-art equipment have been crucial. It's this kind of hands-on engagement in strategizing, making critical decisions, and upholding excellence that we aim to foster among all our administrative staff. Beyond the physical enhancements, your support for our international scholarship students, ensuring their seamless transition and academic prosperity, is equally commendable. This comprehensive and engaged approach truly embodies the essence of our team and is the driving force behind our program's success." The event also paid homage to the current and former GCU ambassadors, celebrating their vital role in fostering the university's legacy through their dedicated service and contributions to GCU's thriving community. In their closing remarks, Dean Al-Melhi and Dr. Mahdi urged the students to remain diligent and industrious. They motivated high-performing students to maintain their academic excellence and to assist their peers in fostering effective study habits. Their inspirational speech underscored the university's commitment to fostering an environment conducive to the holistic development of its students.

On October 31, 2022, the Guidance and Counseling Unit (GCU) of King Khalid University held a workshop in collaboration with the Saudi Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf). The event also included an appreciation ceremony to recognize high-achieving students, dedicated faculty members, and supportive staff. Dean Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, Chairman Dr. Ibrahim Alasmari, and GCU Head Dr. Dawood Mahdi led the proceedings. The event began with Muhammad Jaber Al-Harbi, a career counselor at Hadaf, who introduced the attendees to the various employment support programs offered by Hadaf. Al-Harbi's comprehensive presentation titled "The Art of Dealing with Tests" was particularly well-received by participants for its interactive nature. It motivated students to formulate a plan of action for their upcoming final exams. Following the informative session, the ceremony recognized students who had attained a cumulative grade point average of 4.5 or higher for the second semester of 1443. The attendees congratulated the high achievers and expressed their best wishes for their continued academic success. Dr. Mahdi and the leadership team then awarded Muhammad Jaber Al-Harbi, a Hadaf career counselor, with a certificate of appreciation for his insightful presentation. The celebration then shifted to recognize the faculty, notably highlighting the administrative staff's pivotal role in the program's recent milestones. These staff members played a crucial part in the seamless transition to the new campus, skillfully coordinating the logistics and ensuring that every detail, from classroom setups to technology installations, was flawlessly executed. Their proficiency was further demonstrated in the procurement and setup of advanced facilities and equipment, which have significantly elevated the educational experience. Dean Al-Melhi, acknowledging these contributions, stated, "Your commitment and skill in navigating our move to the new campus, upgrading our facilities, and bringing in state-of-the-art equipment have been crucial. It's this kind of hands-on engagement in strategizing, making critical decisions, and upholding excellence that we aim to foster among all our administrative staff. Beyond the physical enhancements, your support for our international scholarship students, ensuring their seamless transition and academic prosperity, is equally commendable. This comprehensive and engaged approach truly embodies the essence of our team and is the driving force behind our program's success." The event also paid homage to the current and former GCU ambassadors, celebrating their vital role in fostering the university's legacy through their dedicated service and contributions to GCU's thriving community. In their closing remarks, Dean Al-Melhi and Dr. Mahdi urged the students to remain diligent and industrious. They motivated high-performing students to maintain their academic excellence and to assist their peers in fostering effective study habits. Their inspirational speech underscored the university's commitment to fostering an environment conducive to the holistic development of its students.

  The Alumni Unit of the Faculty of Languages and Translation hosted a webinar on a new virtual internship-based learning project on October 25, 2022, with the goal of integrating employability into all undergraduate and graduate programs. The objective is for all undergraduate and graduate students to acquire employability skills that are aligned with learning outcomes and help them prepare for a competitive job market.   In response to the increased demand for digital skills programs post-Covid-19, the Faculty of Languages and Translation worked to find innovative and expedient means for our students to acquire essential employability skills. After an initial agreement with Forage to become a university partner in July 2022 and further correspondence to officially integrate the Faculty of Languages and Translation platform onto Forage, it became clear that our goals were the same: to let students access online virtual internships from anywhere, at any time, with no restrictions.   Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and Development, kicked off the webinar moderated by Mohsin Reza Khan by introducing the Forage and explaining that students will be able to develop their skills and try out different roles and industries by working through self-paced modules, noting that students and alumni will gain a better understanding of the diverse and exciting career paths available. He emphasized the importance of students and alumni having the skills and confidence necessary for success as they transition from the classroom to the professional world. Following after, Hassan Costello continued to provide additional background information on the Forage. He emphasized that companies on Forage believe talent is more important than connections and mentioned that it is a great way to demonstrate an initial interest or passion for a specific organization and the type of work they do, which will be advantageous in any future recruitment process. He explained that after completing a program, students and alumni would receive a personalized certificate and a digital certificate that serves as evidence of acquired skills. He then highlighted that those who complete an online internship program could update their LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV under the "Certifications" section with their new skills to boost their credentials and kickstart their career growth. "Employers are twice as likely to interview a Forage candidate and four times as likely to offer them a position," he concluded.   Abdussalam Tahir Abdulmajid, a senior, described his experience completing virtual internships on the Forage, emphasizing that signing up is user-friendly and the courses are self-paced. He highlighted that one program requires five to six hours to complete and that you can complete as many as you like. With over 190+ courses to choose from, Abdussalam encouraged his fellow students to sample what real-life work at leading companies would be like and to fully explore their interests.   The webinar participants were then able to pose questions directly to Abdussalam and Dr. Almosa during a lively Q&A session. Date: 10/26/2022 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  The Alumni Unit of the Faculty of Languages and Translation hosted a webinar on a new virtual internship-based learning project on October 25, 2022, with the goal of integrating employability into all undergraduate and graduate programs. The objective is for all undergraduate and graduate students to acquire employability skills that are aligned with learning outcomes and help them prepare for a competitive job market.   In response to the increased demand for digital skills programs post-Covid-19, the Faculty of Languages and Translation worked to find innovative and expedient means for our students to acquire essential employability skills. After an initial agreement with Forage to become a university partner in July 2022 and further correspondence to officially integrate the Faculty of Languages and Translation platform onto Forage, it became clear that our goals were the same: to let students access online virtual internships from anywhere, at any time, with no restrictions.   Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and Development, kicked off the webinar moderated by Mohsin Reza Khan by introducing the Forage and explaining that students will be able to develop their skills and try out different roles and industries by working through self-paced modules, noting that students and alumni will gain a better understanding of the diverse and exciting career paths available. He emphasized the importance of students and alumni having the skills and confidence necessary for success as they transition from the classroom to the professional world. Following after, Hassan Costello continued to provide additional background information on the Forage. He emphasized that companies on Forage believe talent is more important than connections and mentioned that it is a great way to demonstrate an initial interest or passion for a specific organization and the type of work they do, which will be advantageous in any future recruitment process. He explained that after completing a program, students and alumni would receive a personalized certificate and a digital certificate that serves as evidence of acquired skills. He then highlighted that those who complete an online internship program could update their LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV under the "Certifications" section with their new skills to boost their credentials and kickstart their career growth. "Employers are twice as likely to interview a Forage candidate and four times as likely to offer them a position," he concluded.   Abdussalam Tahir Abdulmajid, a senior, described his experience completing virtual internships on the Forage, emphasizing that signing up is user-friendly and the courses are self-paced. He highlighted that one program requires five to six hours to complete and that you can complete as many as you like. With over 190+ courses to choose from, Abdussalam encouraged his fellow students to sample what real-life work at leading companies would be like and to fully explore their interests.   The webinar participants were then able to pose questions directly to Abdussalam and Dr. Almosa during a lively Q&A session. Date: 10/26/2022 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  Ms. Anjum Mishu conducted a presentation titled "Language of the Professionals: How to Write Academic English (International Tests, Research Papers or Journals)" at a webinar organized by the female Alumni Unit on 23 March 2022. She highlighted the problem faced by students when they want to take competency tests and write research papers as a part of MA and Ph.D. programs. She stressed the fact that students find it challenging to jump from the casual day-to-day style to the very high standard expected of them at the tertiary level.   Ms. Anjum offered a solution to this problem by showing them that through the application of strategies at the syntax level, they can transform simple and plain sentences into formal and academic ones. Attitude adverbials, fronting, cleft sentences, quantifying differences, generalizing and distancing, referencing, etc., are to name a few of the strategies.   The presenter also emphasized that academic tone can be improved through the proper use of affixes at the lexical level. She added charts of useful affixes so that they could come in handy for the students. Date: 3/25/2022 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  Ms. Anjum Mishu conducted a presentation titled "Language of the Professionals: How to Write Academic English (International Tests, Research Papers or Journals)" at a webinar organized by the female Alumni Unit on 23 March 2022. She highlighted the problem faced by students when they want to take competency tests and write research papers as a part of MA and Ph.D. programs. She stressed the fact that students find it challenging to jump from the casual day-to-day style to the very high standard expected of them at the tertiary level.   Ms. Anjum offered a solution to this problem by showing them that through the application of strategies at the syntax level, they can transform simple and plain sentences into formal and academic ones. Attitude adverbials, fronting, cleft sentences, quantifying differences, generalizing and distancing, referencing, etc., are to name a few of the strategies.   The presenter also emphasized that academic tone can be improved through the proper use of affixes at the lexical level. She added charts of useful affixes so that they could come in handy for the students. Date: 3/25/2022 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  The Translation Unit (TU) organized a translation competition titled "Translator of the Nation", coinciding with the faculty's celebration of Saudi Arabia's 'Founding Day' on Tuesday, 22 February 2022. Participants were involved in translating several journalistic texts about this national and remarkable occasion. This competition was received warmly by our MA and BA students on several campuses, thus raising awareness about this occasion and reinforcing the role of TU in transferring local and authentic admirable events through translation from Arabic into English. The improvement of students' translator skills was a goal that TU has sought to achieve from this competition. TU received more than 50 texts from our students.   Some winners expressed their views regarding this competition.   "Being a part of the competition — 'the Translator of the Nation' — was an honor because it was the least that we could do to give back to our country. In addition, I would like to thank the Translation Unit for this wonderful opportunity to translate to enable people to learn more about this cherished event, Founding Day," said Abdulaziz Alalawi.   Abeer Alasmari highlighted that the "Torjoman Al-Watan Competition was an initiative that truly ignited our patriotic sentiment and rekindled that spark of passion inside all of us translators. It's an admirable gesture of the Translation Unit at the Faculty of Languages and Translation at KKU, to which we all are deeply appreciative."   "Participating in such a multi-purpose competition designed to accomplish national educational goals was a really wonderful thing. It isn't winning or losing that matters since success is measured by what we've done to prepare for the competition, and the fruits we've reaped were absolutely inspiring & uplifting," said Jamilah Shah.   Asma Hassan emphasized the importance of this competition in boosting students' skills in translation by saying, "The competition was like a test for my abilities in translation. It also motivated me to practice translation more and more with confidence."   "University life is experiences, and this competition is a beneficial experience that hones our performance in translation. Indeed, it’s closer to motivation than to competition," said Waad Al-Manea.   TU would like to express its gratitude and appreciation to all participants in the translation competition titled "The Translator of the Nation." TU is pleased to announce the winners as follows: 1st place (500 SR): Abdulaziz Alalawi/MA Translation 2nd place (400 SR): Abeer Alasmari/MA Translation 3rd place (300 SR): Jamilah Sanagul/MA Translation 4th place (200 SR): Waad Al-Manea/MA Translation 5th place (shared) (100 SR each): Nujud Aseeri & Asma Alfuraih/both MA Translation   The award ceremony took place in a wonderful event organized by the Guidance and Counselling Unit and English Club at the Faculty of Languages and Translation on Tuesday, 22 March 2022. The winners were awarded cash prizes and certificates of appreciation. As a token of appreciation, all participants were awarded certificates of appreciation, thus motivating them to develop their talents & skills in translation.   Our heartfelt congratulations to the winners and participants on their outstanding achievements. Date: 3/24/2022 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  The Translation Unit (TU) organized a translation competition titled "Translator of the Nation", coinciding with the faculty's celebration of Saudi Arabia's 'Founding Day' on Tuesday, 22 February 2022. Participants were involved in translating several journalistic texts about this national and remarkable occasion. This competition was received warmly by our MA and BA students on several campuses, thus raising awareness about this occasion and reinforcing the role of TU in transferring local and authentic admirable events through translation from Arabic into English. The improvement of students' translator skills was a goal that TU has sought to achieve from this competition. TU received more than 50 texts from our students.   Some winners expressed their views regarding this competition.   "Being a part of the competition — 'the Translator of the Nation' — was an honor because it was the least that we could do to give back to our country. In addition, I would like to thank the Translation Unit for this wonderful opportunity to translate to enable people to learn more about this cherished event, Founding Day," said Abdulaziz Alalawi.   Abeer Alasmari highlighted that the "Torjoman Al-Watan Competition was an initiative that truly ignited our patriotic sentiment and rekindled that spark of passion inside all of us translators. It's an admirable gesture of the Translation Unit at the Faculty of Languages and Translation at KKU, to which we all are deeply appreciative."   "Participating in such a multi-purpose competition designed to accomplish national educational goals was a really wonderful thing. It isn't winning or losing that matters since success is measured by what we've done to prepare for the competition, and the fruits we've reaped were absolutely inspiring & uplifting," said Jamilah Shah.   Asma Hassan emphasized the importance of this competition in boosting students' skills in translation by saying, "The competition was like a test for my abilities in translation. It also motivated me to practice translation more and more with confidence."   "University life is experiences, and this competition is a beneficial experience that hones our performance in translation. Indeed, it’s closer to motivation than to competition," said Waad Al-Manea.   TU would like to express its gratitude and appreciation to all participants in the translation competition titled "The Translator of the Nation." TU is pleased to announce the winners as follows: 1st place (500 SR): Abdulaziz Alalawi/MA Translation 2nd place (400 SR): Abeer Alasmari/MA Translation 3rd place (300 SR): Jamilah Sanagul/MA Translation 4th place (200 SR): Waad Al-Manea/MA Translation 5th place (shared) (100 SR each): Nujud Aseeri & Asma Alfuraih/both MA Translation   The award ceremony took place in a wonderful event organized by the Guidance and Counselling Unit and English Club at the Faculty of Languages and Translation on Tuesday, 22 March 2022. The winners were awarded cash prizes and certificates of appreciation. As a token of appreciation, all participants were awarded certificates of appreciation, thus motivating them to develop their talents & skills in translation.   Our heartfelt congratulations to the winners and participants on their outstanding achievements. Date: 3/24/2022 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  On Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at 8 pm, four Bachelor of Arts in English program rising seniors, and student representatives of the King Khalid University 2021 Online Summer Program with Monash University, delivered an Alumni Unit webinar entitled "Summer Course Experience: Monash University".   Beginning the webinar as the moderator, Rayan Hassan Alfaifi, a student at the Faculty of Languages and Translation's 4-week 2021 online summer program titled "English Across Cultures and Intercultural Awareness" that ended on 19 August 2021, explained that the program translated into a deeper understanding of the English language and culture. Rayan said: "We thought that why wouldn't we make a full summary of this program and give it to all students through this webinar. This is the whole idea of this webinar." He then introduced the thematic points of the webinar, including fun facts about Monash University, Australian culture & language, language and culture, teaching and learning culture, cultural awareness, intercultural information, bilingualism, native speakerism, pedagogy and fairness, and research tips.   "We were thrilled to offer this opportunity to our top students, especially during the pandemic," said Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, Dean at the Faculty of Languages and Translation. "What's remarkable about the online summer program is how KKU's and Monash's high-caliber faculty collaborated to design a curriculum that fit the needs of our students," said Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, Vice Dean of Academic Development & Quality at the Faculty of Languages and Translation   Hind Mufleh Abudaser, Jana Muneer Saeed, Rayan Hassan Alfaifi, and Faisal Mohammad Asiri then began the informative part of the webinar. They introduced participants to the origins of Australian culture, the colorful vocabulary of Australian English, examples of diminutives, the intersections of language and culture, language as a code, language as a social practice, approaches to learning culture, the four categories of cultural awareness, the concepts of interculturalism and the spaces they are defined in, steps to becoming an intercultural learner, bilingualism, multilingualism, fractional and holistic views, code-switching, translanguaging, the myth of ambilingualism, English as an international language (EIL), the fallacies of native speakerism, pedagogy and fairness, equality vs. equity, and research tips.   The Summer Language Program is a recent development managed by the Faculty of Languages and Translation and its international partners. It serves to enrich gifted and talented students with extracurricular activities in a variety of fields to develop their abilities and skills. Special thanks go to the Alumni Unit for communicating and involving alumni in events and activities.To watch a recording of the event, please see the embedded video below. Summer Course Experience: Monash University Date: 2/13/2022 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation For a related story, click here.

  On Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at 8 pm, four Bachelor of Arts in English program rising seniors, and student representatives of the King Khalid University 2021 Online Summer Program with Monash University, delivered an Alumni Unit webinar entitled "Summer Course Experience: Monash University".   Beginning the webinar as the moderator, Rayan Hassan Alfaifi, a student at the Faculty of Languages and Translation's 4-week 2021 online summer program titled "English Across Cultures and Intercultural Awareness" that ended on 19 August 2021, explained that the program translated into a deeper understanding of the English language and culture. Rayan said: "We thought that why wouldn't we make a full summary of this program and give it to all students through this webinar. This is the whole idea of this webinar." He then introduced the thematic points of the webinar, including fun facts about Monash University, Australian culture & language, language and culture, teaching and learning culture, cultural awareness, intercultural information, bilingualism, native speakerism, pedagogy and fairness, and research tips.   "We were thrilled to offer this opportunity to our top students, especially during the pandemic," said Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, Dean at the Faculty of Languages and Translation. "What's remarkable about the online summer program is how KKU's and Monash's high-caliber faculty collaborated to design a curriculum that fit the needs of our students," said Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, Vice Dean of Academic Development & Quality at the Faculty of Languages and Translation   Hind Mufleh Abudaser, Jana Muneer Saeed, Rayan Hassan Alfaifi, and Faisal Mohammad Asiri then began the informative part of the webinar. They introduced participants to the origins of Australian culture, the colorful vocabulary of Australian English, examples of diminutives, the intersections of language and culture, language as a code, language as a social practice, approaches to learning culture, the four categories of cultural awareness, the concepts of interculturalism and the spaces they are defined in, steps to becoming an intercultural learner, bilingualism, multilingualism, fractional and holistic views, code-switching, translanguaging, the myth of ambilingualism, English as an international language (EIL), the fallacies of native speakerism, pedagogy and fairness, equality vs. equity, and research tips.   The Summer Language Program is a recent development managed by the Faculty of Languages and Translation and its international partners. It serves to enrich gifted and talented students with extracurricular activities in a variety of fields to develop their abilities and skills. Special thanks go to the Alumni Unit for communicating and involving alumni in events and activities. To watch a recording of the event, please see the embedded video below. Summer Course Experience: Monash University Date: 2/13/2022 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation For a related story, click here.