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King Abdulaziz University won the “Zero Project Global Award” for the third time
King Abdelaziz University won the 2024 Zero Project Award for the third time, which is awarded to leading entities in innovation to empower people with disabilities around the world. 523 candidates representing 97 countries are participating in its current session. The university's participation in the award came under the theme "The Preparatory Year Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at the University in the Inclusive Education Category", as the program focuses during the academic year on intensifying the development of language skills for 72 male and female students who were accepted into the program. It includes specialized courses in the Arabic language, providing and training sign language interpreters, and is concerned with spreading the culture of the deaf and sign language in the university community
King Abdelaziz University winning the Zero Project Award for the third time in a row carries important implications and reflects the university's great commitment to promoting and implementing effective policies and programs to support people with disabilities. Here are the most prominent implications and meanings that can be inferred from this repeated win:
1. Leadership in the field of supporting people with disabilities
2. Applying international standards
3. Commitment to achieving the Kingdom's Vision 2030
4. Sustainability of efforts and initiatives
5. Building a global reputation
6. Providing a prepared and inclusive environment
King Abdelaziz University’s winning of the “Zero Project” award for the third time in a row reflects its deep commitment to applying global best practices in supporting people with disabilities, and is evidence of its leadership and sustainability of its efforts in this field. This achievement highlights the university as one of the most inclusive and innovative educational institutions in the world, and contributes to enhancing its reputation and position locally and internationally.
King Abdulaziz University’s efforts to reduce inequalities
KAU has introduced a set of procedures and practices for identifying and removing inequalities on campus, in its community and globally.
In this sense, KAU has defined and applies policies that fight the different forms of inequalities, discrimination, and harassment while assuring the measures that would support the reduction of inequalities.
KAU is interested in developing each student’s character, including normal or disable students or those who belong to underrepresented groups, with regard to his/her psychological, academic, social and financial aspect through a number of pivotal activities.
KAU, in this aspect, continuously works on:
Reducing symptoms of and structural factors behind inequalities in income and opportunity, as well as those based on sex, age, disability, origin, class, ethnicity, race, religion and representation are crucial to achieving this goal.
Key to this will be the development of monitoring and guiding indicators and the strengthening of political will for enacting internal policies and for international and regional cooperation.
Managing the pay gap between lowest and highest paid staff
Instituting an equity agenda and plan that commits to equal opportunity and reduced inequalities in all processes and activities.
Committing to the elimination of discrimination across the university by ensuring the diversity of the population has the opportunity to be represented and have a voice in the decision-making process.
Providing a supportive, inclusive and safe working and learning environment for people from financially and socially disadvantaged, backgrounds, people from rural and regional areas, people with disabilities, women in the workplace, people of diverse genders and sexualities and people from diverse cultural and faith communities.
Here is a brief list of events and actions that are related to SDG10 and which are detailed in the SDG10 related reports:
Special Needs Center.
Special Treatment for Disables.
KAU has a set of centers and units to follow SDG10 related aspects and assure KAU’s alignment with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Innovative Solutions that facilitate Disable’s life on and off campus (“Show Me the Way”, “Daisy Format”, ‘Bail Format”).
Counseling Office for Disables.
Cross-cultural trainings, awareness campaigns, and education programmers, that are organized by KAU or in which KAU participates, for the sake of reducing inequalities among its students and staff.
A set of public lectures and other local events throughout the year. These talks are given by leading experts from the KAU and beyond, and are an important part of KAU’s commitment to public engagement.
Local events organized by national government, Charitable Foundations and/or NGOs.
Various international conferences that are related to SDG10 as well as international ongoing programmers with regional/international universities.
Aligning with the “National Strategic Plan” by playing a key role in partnership with the Saudi government to support the Kingdom Vision 2030 which is based on the SDGs concept.
More than 52% of the total number of students at King Abdulaziz University are females, whether at the undergraduate or postgraduate levels.
International Student Scholarships
KAU offers scholarship programs for international students: KAU grants scholarships to students from outside Saudi Arabia that include tuition, housing, living, and health insurance, which provides equal educational opportunities for students of multiple nationalities.
Data Publishing
KAU publishes and reports all events and data that are related to SDG10, as part of its 4 internal strategy plans, as well as other dedicated reports, to monitor and control the sustainability goals’ improvement within KAU and as part of KAU’s alignment with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
All the data that is related to SDG10, “Reduced Inequalities”, is openly available and can be fetched from the following channels:
SDG10 Report 2024.pdf10.1: Publications in Reduced Inequalities
This area focuses on KAU’s research research that is relevant to Reduced Inequalities.
22% of KAU's publications on Reduced Inequalities are in the TOP 10% of Journals.
10.2: Proportion of First Generation Students
Around 15.9 % of KAU's First Degree Students are FIRST-GENERATION Students.
10.3: Proportion of International Students from Low Income Nations, receiving Aid
Around 7.1% of KAU's International students from developing countries , receiving aid".
10.4: Proportion of Students with Disabilities
KAU has 1737 Students with Disability who are practicing their university life with minimum difficulties and high self-dependency, thanks to KAU's facilities and services to Students with Disability.
10.5: Proportion of Staff with Disabilities
King Abdulaziz University is one of the leading educational institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that makes great efforts to support and employ people with disabilities, with a focus on providing a comprehensive and accessible work and education environment that meets their needs.
Approximately 7% of employees at King Abdulaziz University are people with disabilities, out of a total number of employees.
10.6: Measures Against Discrimination
The Saudi Labor Law explicitly prevents discrimination and harassments of any type. KAU applies the Labor Law and inherits it within its Professional Ethics Charter's rules and regulations and Academic Advising Student Handbook.
More than 52% of the total number of students at King Abdulaziz University are females, whether at the undergraduate or postgraduate levels.
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