The Spotlight
Driving institutional success through academic vision
Dr Mohammad Alzahrani, Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Umm Al-Qura University
"Our Strategy 2027 explicitly positions values such as inclusion, innovation, quality, belonging, responsibility, and efficiency as core drivers of our institutional direction."
QS: What is the importance of academic vision in driving institutional success? An academic vision is the university’s compass. It translates our identity and aspirations into priority choices that shape programs, pedagogies, research directions, and student experience.
At UQU, this vision is not abstract; it is anchored in our Strategy 2027 goals to deliver high-quality educational programs that prepare globally competitive graduates, elevate research outputs and graduate studies, and strengthen innovation to support the knowledge economy
Institutional success is ultimately about coherence, everyone moving in the same direction. When academic vision is clear and shared, it becomes the foundation for institutional alignment, resource prioritization, and a culture of continuous improvement across colleges and supporting units.
QS: What are the key pillars of UQU’s academic vision?
Our academic vision is built around five integrated strategic pathways. The first is Learning and Teaching, which focuses on offering distinctive, high-quality academic programs and strengthening the student experience through targeted initiatives such as academic program quality, digital transformation, and a holistic student experience.
The second pillar is Research and Graduate Studies, aimed at raising the quality of research outputs, enhancing graduate education, and expanding scholarship and advancement opportunities.
We also emphasize Innovation and Competitiveness, Governance and Resource Efficiency, and Community Service as essential pillars that complete the academic ecosystem.
These integrated pillars ensure that academic excellence is supported by strong governance, sustainable resourcing, and meaningful societal impact.QS: Where are the biggest opportunities for growth in higher education and social advancement in your region?
QS: How does UQU ensure that its academic vision reflects the university’s values as well as evolving student needs?
We begin with values because they shape how we design and evaluate everything we do. Our Strategy 2027 explicitly positions values such as inclusion, innovation, quality, belonging, responsibility, and efficiency as core drivers of our institutional direction.
In practical terms, the Learning and Teaching pathway prioritizes the quality of academic programs with a strong emphasis on aligning learning outcomes with labor market needs. The strategy highlights the importance of producing effective educational outcomes that meet market requirements and support the development of human capabilities aligned with national ambitions.
We also recognize that students today expect agile learning models, digital services, and an integrated university experience. This is why digital transformation is embedded as a dedicated program within our academic pathway, not as a parallel project, but as a core feature of the future student journey.
QS: What are some effective strategies for aligning institutional goals and initiatives with the university’s academic vision?
Alignment requires both governance and measurement. Our strategy outlines structured oversight and implementation mechanisms that ensure initiatives are mapped to strategic goals, with defined KPIs and target outcomes. The strategy confirms that achievement indicators and initiative identifications were prepared to measure progress against the university’s strategic objectives.
From an academic affairs perspective, we work to ensure that the operational plans of the supporting deanships/ administrative units, colleges, as well as, program reviews, and quality assurance processes all trace back to Strategy 2027 objectives, particularly those tied to high-quality programs, globally competitive graduates, and research excellence.
This approach creates a single institutional narrative: what we launch, what we fund, what we evaluate, and what we celebrate must all reinforce the same academic future.
QS: How do you anticipate future trends in higher education and integrate them into your vision?
Our strategy reflects a forward-looking view of higher education that combines academic tradition with global competitiveness, as we are one of the participant institutions in the national initiative of universities excellence in the kingdom.
We are strengthening international readiness through opportunities for students and graduates locally and internationally, and we are expanding knowledge exchange and joint academic and research initiatives.
We also expect digital learning ecosystems and data-informed quality management to define the next decade. This is why digital transformation is positioned as a strategic academic program, supporting more flexible learning models and smarter institutional decision-making.
Equally important is the growing expectation that universities demonstrate tangible societal value. UQU’s Strategy 2027 reinforces our global standing by deepening our Arab and Islamic identity and activating our community role.
From Makkah, our academic vision is uniquely poised to innovate in service learning, ethical leadership, and knowledge that benefits humanity.