SDG 1: NO POVERTY

1.4.3 Does your university as a body organise training or programmes to improve access to basic services for all?

Student Guide - volunteering & community service

The Student Guide formalizes volunteer service and community engagement as an element of student development. It records mechanisms for skill-logging, volunteering participation, and organizes community activities, enabling sustained student contributions to increase community access to education, health awareness and basic services.

Participation and agreements at the Global Health Forum / Global Health Expo (policy dialogues and signings)

AlMaarefa University participated with a dedicated pavilion at the Global Health Forum / Global Health Expo (Oct 2024), delivering workshops, presenting applied research and signing cooperation agreements with health authorities, industry and NGOs. This presence enabled cross-sectoral dialogue on health policy, innovation and implementation between academia, government and private partners.

At the Global Health Exhibition (2024) Al Maarefa University hosted a pavilion with workshops and sessions on preventive health, basic care methods and expert discussions — disseminating health knowledge and connecting attendees to university programs and basic service channels. Knowledge University invites you to participate in its distinguished pavilion at the World Health Forum 2024, where we provide you with a comprehensive view of the future of health through educational and academic initiatives that aim to enhance health awareness and explore the latest innovations in the field of medicine and healthcare [1].

#_University_of_Maarefa concludes its participation for the second day in the #_Global_Health_Forum, and we look forward to meeting you tomorrow at 10:00 am at the University of Maarefa booth No. H3B-J59 [2] [3].

Community awareness program on smoking — Nursing Department

The Nursing Department at Al Maarefa University implements community health awareness programs — including targeted campaigns about the health risks of smoking. These programs combine student training, outreach visits to community groups and awareness materials to promote prevention and facilitate access to basic health knowledge and services [4].

Awareness event about the dangers of burns (student-led)

Student clubs at Al Maarefa University organized an awareness event on burn prevention, including demonstrations, leaflets and counselling. The activity increases community safety knowledge and links participants to university resources and basic first-aid guidance. As part of the awareness activities organized by the Al-Ma’rifa Colleges of Science and Technology through its responsibility towards community service with the aim of raising awareness and health culture, the Student Scientific Research Club, under the supervision of the Student Affairs Department in the colleges, organized on Thursday 2/8/2018 AD at the Scientific Institute in Diriyah an awareness event about burns that affect... Skin and how to deal with it.

The event included a visual presentation with an explanation provided by the club’s students about the types of burns and how to best deal with them, in addition to distributing awareness leaflets related to this condition.

This event received a great response from the institute's students [5].

Emergency Medical Services Club - MOH collaboration for World Suicide Prevention Day & World First Aid Day

The Emergency Medical Services Club at AlMaarefa University collaborated with the Ministry of Health to deliver workshops and awareness demonstrations for World Suicide Prevention Day and World First Aid Day (Sep 12, 2024). Activities included psychological first-aid briefings and live first-aid demonstrations for community attendees.

As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance public health awareness, Almaarefa University, represented by the Emergency Medical Services Club, participated in the awareness events organized by the Ministry of Health for World Suicide Prevention Day and World First Aid Day [6].

This participation is part of a joint initiative aimed at highlighting the importance of psychological support in emergency situations and teaching essential first aid skills. The Emergency Medical Services Club at Almaarefa University conducted a series of educational activities and workshops designed to enhance attendees' knowledge of crisis intervention basics and how to provide immediate psychological support to individuals.

The events included interactive lectures and practical demonstrations showcasing model emergency situations and effective handling methods. Educational materials were also distributed, covering first aid strategies, recognizing signs of psychological disorders, and the necessary procedures to support individuals in such cases.

These events underscore Almaarefa University's commitment to actively contributing to public health awareness and enhancing community safety, in line with its goals of providing academic and professional support to the community [7].

AI workshops + AI Enablthone (series of 9 workshops + hackathon)

Al Maarefa University, in collaboration with King Salman Disability Research Center, ran nine specialised workshops and a hackathon (AI Enablthone) focused on AI applications to assist people with disabilities. These activities build local capacity, produce assistive-tech prototypes and strengthen community access to technological services and assistive solutions — directly improving access to basic support services for a vulnerable population, in collaboration with the King Salman Center for Disability Research, is proud to organize a series of nine workshops and a hackathon focused on how to use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the lives of people with disabilities. These events, coinciding with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, 2024, will bring together global leaders and experts to discuss innovative solutions for supporting and treating people with special needs [8].

Visit to Social Welfare Home for Elderly Women — outreach & support

Al Maarefa University students and staff visited the Social Welfare Home for Elderly Women as part of community service activities, providing social, educational and emotional support. These visits represent direct university action to extend basic social care services to vulnerable groups. The elderly women in society are considered one of the most important groups in need of care and compassion. From this standpoint, the female students of Al-Ma’rifa University, represented by the Community Service Unit, on the evening of Saturday, Ramadan 20, 1440 AH, corresponding to May 25, 2019 AD, held a friendly visit and inspection of the social care home for elderly women to create a family atmosphere of joy. Happiness is in the month of Ramadan, the month characterized by love, giving, and goodness, which brings renewed bonding, compassion, and brotherhood among members of the Islamic community, and the provision of symbolic gifts to elderly women [9].

Lecture series with the Saudi Wellness Association

AlMaarefa University, in partnership with the Saudi Wellness Association, hosted public lectures on integrating wellness into modern healthcare, aimed at raising community awareness and preventive practices [10].

Research Day

The Research Day proceedings document community-focused projects including health camps and charity events, showing active community outreach and data-driven initiatives to improve service access [11].

Respiratory Care Department - community services & patient education

The Respiratory Care program explicitly includes community services and patient education components — students perform outreach, clinics and practical exercises that improve local access to respiratory health services [12].

References