Dear KAUST Community,
I am pleased to share with you an update on the final recommendations of the President’s Task Force on Arts, Cultural and Community Life at KAUST. The Task Force members should be commended for their work, including reaching out to over 1,000 community members, 35 community groups and 15 departments around campus.
Through this process, the Task Force learned that 65% of those surveyed were satisfied or extremely satisfied with current events and activities. It is interesting to note that the most liked events are food-related experiences and festivals, performing arts and international cultural activities. At the same time, the Task Force identified areas for improvement based on common threads suggested by the community and the Task Force’s own deliberations and evaluation of existing programs. They used this insight to offer recommendations in the following five thematic areas:
- Big Ideas
- Artistry and Talent
- Cultural Appreciation
- Information Sharing and Access
- Essential Services
In reviewing the report and recommendations, the Task Force Advisory Group and I tried to focus on the ideas that could be implemented in the near future, leveraging our progress in some areas while ensuring that adequate resources were available to implement and sustain the recommendations.
After careful consideration, I have decided to move forward with six actions steps that embody the key findings and recommendations submitted by the Task Force. A summary of these action steps and the topics they cover can be found on The Lens. In its work, the Task Force identified several areas of improvement needed in essential services which are not directly related to arts and cultural opportunities, but nonetheless are found to be important to community life. They have been included for further evaluation and potential actions (Action Step # 6).
The work of the Task Force and these action steps give us an opportunity to continue cultivating a learn-live-thrive environment throughout our community. In the next few months you will begin to see these actions being implemented by various departments (some are already in progress). Our goal is to sustain a healthy quality of life while also leveraging resources on behalf of the community.
I would like to thank the members of the Task Force for their thoughtful and pragmatic approach to developing recommendations for our cultural and community life based on what ‘makes sense’ for KAUST. Their passion for and commitment to the KAUST community were evident in every meeting and through each idea they explored and discussed. Additionally, I would like to thank the members of the Task Force Advisory Group who offered their time, feedback and support.
I believe that our progress as a university-residential community is commendable, and you should be proud of your individual and collective contributions. As we continue to grow and evolve, we will need everyone’s positive contributions for the benefit of each other and the mission of the university—to expand knowledge to address world challenges in a highly collegial and international environment and contribute to the welfare of society both here in Saudi Arabia and throughout the world.
Together, KAUST will become a beacon of knowledge and a bridge to all cultures.
Yours in gratitude,
Jean-Lou