RIYADH: The School of Public Policy at the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center will commence offering masters degree courses in September 2024, confirmed a top official.
In an interview with Arab News, Ghadah Al-Arifi, founding dean of the school, stated that this educational institution, the first of its kind in the Kingdom, will initially attract individuals already in the job market for its new program.
Al-Arifi said: “We have already started offering executive training and education through several programs with international and national partners. In 2023, we trained over 600 employees in the private, government and nonprofit sectors in 17 organizations.”
On the first day of the Human Capability Initiative, KAPSARC announced obtaining an establishment license for its School of Public Policy. The school aims to set groundbreaking standards in policy studies through two-year master’s degree and executive education programs.
“In September 2024, we will start our academic programs by offering a master’s in public policy. In terms of the master programs, we are looking to attract people who are already in the job market,” said the dean.
To enroll in the master’s degree program, candidates are required to hold a graduate degree and demonstrate proficiency in English language skills.
“The requirement is having a bachelor’s degree and possessing a minimum standard of English language and other types of requirements. We accept people, all graduates from all disciplines to our school,” said Al-Arifi.
She mentioned that they have some pre-sessional courses that could help individuals lacking essential skills for success in the curriculum, adding: "We accept everyone, and we will make sure that whoever lacks some skills, we will have the right preparations for them.”
During the discussion, Al-Arifi mentioned that the establishment of the institute aligns with the goals outlined in Vision 2030.
“With Vision 2030, there is an urgent need to prepare public policy leaders, people working in government and private sector to work on the development evaluation and impact assessment of current and future policies. With that vision, High Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman came up with the idea to establish the first School of Public Policy in Saudi Arabia,” she noted.
Al-Arifi further emphasized that the School of Public Policy aims to attract students, both local and international.
“The international reputation of KAPSARC holds a lot of value in the international arena, especially in the area of energy economics and policy. We would like to leverage the expertise we have at KAPSARC,” she said.
The dean disclosed that the curriculum offered at the school will be “fresh, new, and cutting-edge,” developed by international experts in the field of public policy.
“When you look at our curriculum, the curriculum is infused with a lot of applied learning. A lot of that is tools, simulations and local case studies,” said Al-Arifi.
She mentioned that the program currently comprises three distinguished tracks: public management and leadership, climate and energy policy, and data application and public policy. “We would like to expand our offering in the future.”
During the discussion, she revealed that KAPSARC is also planning to offer a crash course for individuals working in the media sector.
“So those media representatives, whenever they cover any news about energy, climate and sustainability, they will have the right definitions. They will have a broader understanding of the issues,” Al-Arifi concluded.
