Education minister opens entrepreneurship forum

Education Minister Ahmad Al-Issa on Tuesday inaugurated a three-day entrepreneurship forum titled “Youth Vim and Vigor and Business Creativity” at the King Saud University (KSU).
Al-Issa opened the forum on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, Crown Prince and Interior Minister Mohammed bin Naif and Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman.
The three-day forum was organized by the King Salman Entrepreneurship Institute. 
Speaking on the occasion, KSU President Dr. Badran Al-Omar said that the modern economy regards the underground resources as the first capital for industrial and business development.
He said these resources paved the way for dependence on technology, with the youth imbibing creativity and innovation brought about by contemporary times.
“Creativity and innovation with the use of modern technology have over the years become more important than financial capital,” Dr. Al-Omar said.
He said that the world is depending more and more on a knowledge-based economy, and that economic and social growth depend on intellectual activities as well as growth and development.
He added that a knowledge-based economy involves the use of patents, innovation and technology incubators, and scientific parks, and encourages the development and establishment of companies with innovative products.
He said that in this regard, KSU has launched several projects such as the King Abdullah Institute for Nanotechnology, Institute of Prince Sultan Advanced Technologies, Prince Naif Center for Health Science and Research, among others.
He said that this was possible through a royal decree establishing the King Salman Institute for Entrepreneurship which focuses on the dissemination of an entrepreneurial culture among the youth.
Separately, the Ministry of Education has directed all schools in the Kingdom’s regions to have school buses to ensure integrated security for all students.
The ministry issued a directive containing different requirements to be followed such as obligating transport companies to provide a supervisor for each school bus to ensure security and order.
The bus companies — both public and private — are also obligated to provide safety requirements that should be followed in school buses.
Bus companies should also ensure that regular drivers with residence permits and qualified leadership drive the school bus.
If and when an accident takes place, the bus company will be held accountable and must be responsible for all expenses incurred.
In case of accidents or deaths, private schools will be subjected to deterrent penalties.
Schools and transportation companies are also required to prepare rehabilitation and awareness programs for students; rehabilitation programs must also be prepared for bus drivers.
Education departments in the regions and provinces are also directed to hold meetings with transport companies to emphasize the importance of human life.
In this context, transport companies are directed to instruct their drivers to exercise extra caution while driving as well as in loading and unloading students.
Drivers are expected to apply the highest standards of safety in all school buses at all times.