SDG 4: QUALITY EDUCATION

4.3.3 Does your university as a body host events at university that are open to the general public: executive education programmes (this refers to short courses for people who are not attending the university; this specifically excludes courses like MBA) and/or vocational training?

Excellence Training / Faculty training pages

Through its Excellence Training unit, AlMaarefa University runs permanent professional training and development programs, internships and community training courses. These programs are designed for both enrolled students and external professionals, supporting lifelong learning and community capacity building (computer labs, classrooms, and practical facilities are mobilized as part of these programs).

Faculty and college pages (e.g., 'Excellence Training') describe training programs, internships and continuing-education aims, and stress community engagement and professional development — indicating institutional structures to offer training and workshops beyond regular degree programmes [1].

CME electronic training portal

Through its CME portal AlMaarefa University provides accredited short courses and continuing-medical-education modules for health professionals. The portal manages course registration, accreditation and delivery, enabling external clinicians and practitioners to access short, certified professional development programmes [2].

TEDx University Almaarefa

AlMaarefa University hosted TEDx University Almaarefa, a campus TEDx conference featuring invited speakers and open public registration. The event provided public lectures and inspirational talks to students, professionals and members of the public, strengthening community engagement and lifelong learning [3].

AlMaarefa University organized the TEDx University Almaarefa event, a licensed TEDx conference designed to promote the exchange of ideas and inspire innovative thinking within the community. The conference, which featured invited speakers from diverse professional and academic backgrounds, was open to the public through an accessible registration process.

Through a series of public lectures, motivational talks, and knowledge-sharing sessions, the event offered valuable learning opportunities not only for AlMaarefa students, but also for professionals, educators, and members of the broader community. By hosting TEDx University Almaarefa, the institution reinforced its commitment to community engagement, open access to educational experiences, and the promotion of lifelong learning.

E-Learning / LMS - Platform to deliver short online executive courses

AlMaarefa University operates a comprehensive E-Learning platform and Learning Management System (LMS) that supports digital course delivery, online assessments, and continuing medical education (CME) testing. This robust technological infrastructure enables the university to manage instructional content, track learner progress, and facilitate interactive learning experiences across academic and professional programs [4].

Beyond its use for internal teaching, the LMS serves as a key enabler for extending educational opportunities to external audiences. Through this system, the university is able to offer short executive courses, vocational training modules, and other online learning resources to professionals and community members who are not formally enrolled at the institution.

By leveraging its LMS for both academic and outreach purposes, AlMaarefa University demonstrates its commitment to flexible learning, digital accessibility, and broad public engagement, expanding its educational reach and supporting lifelong learning within the wider community.

Support for continuing education and professional development

Several academic programs at AlMaarefa University—such as Health Information Systems and Computer Science—explicitly highlight the institution’s commitment to continuing education and professional development. These programs outline departmental efforts to design and deliver short courses, specialized workshops, and up-skilling opportunities aimed at professionals, graduates, and practitioners across the region.

Through these initiatives, academic departments actively contribute to lifelong learning, workforce development, and the continuous enhancement of professional competencies in fields aligned with national workforce priorities. The availability of structured training opportunities beyond degree programs reflects the university’s broader mission to support community learning needs, address emerging industry demands, and strengthen professional capacities within the Saudi labor market [5] [6].

AI Enablathon / Hackathon (virtual workshops - open registration)

AlMaarefa University’s AI Enablathon and related hackathons include virtual workshops and open registration, enabling participation from learners and professionals outside the university. These events supply digital learning resources, mentoring, and access to computing resources for participants (virtual lab environments and guidance from academic supervisors) [7].

Research Day

AlMaarefa University’s Scientific Research Day issues open calls for abstracts and welcomes participants from other universities. The event features oral presentations, poster sessions and research forums that are open to the academic community and the public, supporting research dissemination and capacity-building [8].

Summer Research and Innovation Camp - intensive training and mentoring (open)

The Summer Research & Innovation Camp offers an open registration programme combining online training, mentoring, project work and final presentations, a vocational/research training format that supports students and early career researchers from across the region [9].

AlMaarefa University’s Summer Research & Innovation Camp is an open-registration program designed to cultivate research skills, innovation capacity, and practical project experience among students and early-career researchers from across the region. The program combines online training modules, structured mentoring, hands-on project development, and final presentations, creating a comprehensive vocational and research-oriented learning pathway.

Through its inclusive registration model, the camp attracts participants from various institutions, providing them with access to expert guidance, collaborative learning environments, and opportunities to engage in real-world research and innovation challenges. This initiative supports the development of foundational competencies in scientific inquiry, problem-solving, and creative thinking, while also fostering a culture of collaboration and knowledge exchange beyond the university’s own student community.

By offering this program annually, AlMaarefa University reinforces its commitment to regional capacity-building, open educational access, and the advancement of research and innovation skills among emerging scholars and professionals.

Regulations Governing the Training of Interns - vocational placements and partner hospitals

AlMaarefa University’s Regulations Governing the Training of Interns formalise supervised clinical placements in partner hospitals and specify the vocational training framework. These regulations enable the university to host externally-oriented vocational training under formal agreements [10].

AlMaarefa University’s Regulations Governing the Training of Interns provide the official framework for supervised clinical placements carried out in partnership with accredited hospitals and healthcare institutions. These regulations outline the operational procedures, responsibilities, supervision standards, and evaluation mechanisms that guide interns throughout their practical training period.

By formalizing the structure and requirements of clinical internships, the policy ensures that students receive high-quality vocational training aligned with professional standards and national healthcare guidelines. Moreover, the regulations enable the university to establish and maintain externally oriented training opportunities through formal clinical partnerships, allowing interns to gain workplace experience in real healthcare settings beyond the university campus.

The Revolution of Healthcare through Artificial Intelligence

On 14 October 2025, the College of Applied Sciences held a workshop titled ‘The Revolution of Healthcare through Artificial Intelligence,’ attended by faculty, students, health-care professionals and interested community members. This event reflects the university’s effort to bridge technology and health care through public vocational and professional education [11].

LIFE Initiative

The LIFE Initiative, led by AlMaarefa University’s Social Responsibility Unit, documents a structured outreach programme offering CPR training, airway management workshops and emergency preparedness education to students and community beneficiaries. The programme emphasizes reducing preventable deaths and improving immediate response capacity in local settings [12].

The LIFE Initiative by AlMaarefa University includes a First Aid training program open to school students and community groups. This long-standing community-service project offers vocationally relevant training in life-saving skills.

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