Dear Al-Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University Community:

As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia commits itself to a broad-based transition into a knowledge-based economy, and as the demand for scientific research and education increases, Imam University must equip itself with a new vision and strategy for the future.

We have recently engaged SRI International (formerly the Stanford Research Institute) to assist Imam University in designing and implementing a strategic plan that maps out the university’s future development scenarios, establishes a vision for a modern university, and aligns the university’s operations, processes and resources to achieving that vision. In the course of the strategic planning process, the Imam University community will be asked, at all levels, to participate, share their thoughts, develop ideas, and implement strategic activities throughout the university. Your participation in this process is critical to the success of the planning endeavor. I strongly encourage you to be forthcoming and open to the strategic planning activities.

This project is intended to transform the university into an internationally recognized university characterized by continuous investment in knowledge creation, excellence in research, and community service. While the process will be broad reaching, the university is expecting the strategic plan to contribute specific direction and guidance to many activities at Imam. Our community must be patient and cooperative with the strategic planning team, as design and implementation of activities will require time, resources, new processes, and operational changes.

I am thankful that we have the opportunity to open our doors to new educational prospects, while also maintaining our tradition. I look forward to Imam University playing a leading role in higher education within the Kingdom in the coming years.