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International Cooperation Mechanism (How to proceed with?)
1. Introduction:
Indeed, the need to share experiences and knowledge with experienced people from the most prestige’s and leading institutes all over the world is always there. Cooperative efforts of knowledge sharing and expertise will enhance the Salman bin Abdul-Aziz University educational and academics standards in order to be competitive at world level. Salman Bin Abdulaziz University is looking for the academic and research institutes which can provide and add value to services.
2. MOUs (Memorandum of Understanding):
MOUs are formulated in a traditional framework consists of several materials of formality. These memos between the University and the other institutes are to establish greater cooperation through specific service contracts. Following are the essential points may be considered while drafting MOUs:
• Scope must be wider and futuristic (to adapt future changes)
• Incorporate exchange of research work and scientific publishing
• Include exchange of faculty members and students
• Allow colleges and scientific centers for more detailed agreements
• Add holding of conferences, workshops and academic and scientific programs
• Add joint cooperative research and academic programs like twinning degrees program
• Add legal and time conditions for the memos.
3. Master Service contracts (Service Contract):
Master Service Contract is a specific agreement arises between two programs, two research centers, or two colleges. The derivable benefits of these contracts must be determined in a quantifiable and measurable form by focusing on the actual needs to be met and services to be acquired. All these needs can be crystallized in a document containing the following points:
• Project name
• The objectives of the project
• A specific implementation plan for the project
• The period of time required for the project to completion
• The names of the project teams from both sides
• The expected outputs of the project
• Project Budget
The contract should have a plan and operational controls for the projects, as well as legal controls to preserve the rights of the parties. Further, training programs, consultancy services and visits with a specific and clear objective and cost may also be added. In term of visits, the contract should include the following points:
• Determine the number of visits and the number of visitors
• Determine the purpose of each visit
• Identify the detailed program of the visit
• Determine the cost of visiting
• Determine the cost of air transportation and local
• Determine the cost of housing and hospitality
The International Cooperation Committee under the Chairmanship of Vice Rector for Graduate Studies and Research Affairs meets regularly to review the progress of cooperative programs and to consider the approval of newly recommended cooperative Master Service Agreements by the college. This committee gives weight to the following points, if these were added in the master service agreement, to approve the new agreements;
• Whether the agreement focuses on the development of education centers specialties?
• Whether the agreement focusses on the establishment of research centers?
• Whether the agreement focusses on students and faculty development programs?
• Whether the agreement allows the supervision of graduate student’s research projects?
• Whether the agreement focusses on curriculum development programs?
• Whether the agreement focusses on degree enrichment program?
4. Conclusion
The opinion of the Standing Committee for International Cooperation is that memorandum of understanding traditionally fulfills what it wants from this program and are therefore seeking to recruit service contracts for specific benefits for the University. Step one as the beginning should be the MoU and it must gain finality through specific Master Service Agreement.