It also gives media consultations to its management and departments, and examines any criticism that has an impact on the community’s trust.
Public Relations and Information Department:
“Public Relations” is a term that connects a corporation with the community, strengthens its relationship with the community’s sectors, helps spread its message, applies its vision and achieves its targets. Additionally, it strives to maximize the benefits of its services. In an outstanding educational institution such as King Fahd University of Petrole
um and Minerals, “Public Relations” is doubly important, as it belongs to one of the educational, economical, and industrial pillars in the Kingdom. It is a part of an outstanding university that has achieved “a prominent place” and “honorable presence” among universities specialized in science and technology. KFUPM has always been “committed to excellence,” and in possession of a unique approach to form its directions, draw its aspirations and to execute its work. The PRI Department makes the community aware of KFUPM’s possibilities and facilities, and it acts as a communication channel with media outlets, the printed and visual media enabling them to contact KFUPM officers & specialists and to help get their opinions on the topics related to their fields. The “General Department of Public Relations and Information” was established in 1391H (1971) under the name of the “Department of Public Relations and Translation.” PR reports directly to the KFUPM Rector and acts as KFUPM’s official spokesman on its achievements; in addition to its scope of work represented in receiving and escorting KFUPM’s guests and visitors during their visits as well as bidding them farewell when their visits end. It also contributes in organizing the university’s main events and occasions and facilitates the duties of journalists, broadcasters and program producers in order to get the information they need. Additionally, it conducts interviews with KFUPM’s officials and faculty. Since the establishment of the Public Relations Department, it has been headed by either a supervisor from faculty, a director general, or a manager from staff and they are sorted in the following order:
1- Mr. Abdulrahman Al-Gandan.
2- Mr. Hassan Al-Hussaini.
3- Mr. Mohammed Al-Masoud.
4- Mr. Faris Al-Harbi.
5- Mr. Hasan Al-Jaser.
6- Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Osail.
7- Dr. Mohammed Hasan Mousa.
8- Dr. Obaid Al-Abdali.
9- Mr. Abdullah Al-Matrodi.
10 - Engr. Ibrahim Al-Khaldi.
11 - Mr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Shehri. Year 1401 H marks a quantum leap in the history of the department, as it issued [Al-Jamaa] newspaper which was named at that time Akhbar Al-Jamaa in order to capture and cover KFUPM’s news and activities. It publishes and analyzes activities of KFUPM’s colleges, innovations and creations of their professors and students. Additionally, it covers news about the visits of scientific, cultural, educational and diplomatic delegations to the university. The newspaper has passed multiple stages of development in its history. It is considered as the “memory” which saves and documents –the history of KFUPM’s achievements. In year 1419 H (1998) for the first time, a new colored version of the newspaper was issued after it had been issued in “black and white” since its inception. In 1431 H (2009), the newspaper began to dedicate pages for students to publish their news, cover their activities and give the chance to the creators among those students to publish their cultural, sports and artistic innovations. More space was given for opinions even if these opinions don’t necessarily reflect the newspaper’s point of view. In Safar 1434 H, in a step that emphasized the newspaper’s keen desire to keep pace with the new realities of modern technology, the newspaper newly stepped on the path of excellence by launching its website under the auspices of HE KFUPM’s Rector, Dr. Khalid Bin Saleh Al-Sultan. (http://aljamaa.kfupm.edu.sa)
The website, which was designed by a team from the Public Relations and Information Department in collaboration with the Information Technology Center, has an online copy of the printed version, and it allows website surfers, through multiple perspectives and creative design, to write their comments about the topics and news that have been published and transfers its contents to social network websites “Twitter” and “Facebook.” Important website press releases are updated periodically. The online version is integrated with the print version for serving KFUPM faculty, staff, students and alumni and they provide the editorial board an immediate evaluation for the news through comments, reactions, suggestions and opinions of the web surfers about the press releases published. In the development stages of the department we can point to the bright pages within a progression of hard work and through a history full of excellence, as in 1422 H, the name, “Department of Public Relations and Translation” was replaced with “Department of Public Relations and Information” provided that it would be headed by a supervisor from faculty or a general manager from staff, as we mentioned. Adding “Information” to the name of department keeps pace with the importance of media, and it emphasizes its prominent role in delivering a bright image of the university to various categories of the community. It also emphasizes KFUPM’s message and focuses on its activities and achievements in engineering and technology sectors. Additionally, it reinforces KFUPM’s global scientific position in educational and scientific research sectors and community services. In 1426 H(2005), the department pursued efforts to develop its performance and created a website for media which contains a version from [Al-Jamaa] newspaper as well as the annual version of [Al-Jamaa] newspaper issued in the form of a magazine. It also contains a portion of recent news, including a list of the occasions or press releases about events hosted and organized by KFUPM. In Safar 1434, and based on the Royal Decree regarding the appointment of spokesmen for ministries, agencies, public institutions and other government agencies, Mr. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Shehri was appointed as spokesman on behalf of the university, in addition to his position as Director General of Public Relations and Information. In Du Al-Hijjah 1433 H, in response to the expansion of the department’s multiple duties which keep pace with the qualitative and quantitative development witnessed by KFUPM, and in response to the importance of Public Relations and Information, and at a time when facilitating workflow and determining new roles are needed, four affiliated units were established. These are: the Public Relations Unit (PR), the Information and Communication Unit (IC), the Media and Publishing Unit (Media) and the Media Production unit (MP).
