Political Science Professor to travel to Saudi Arabia

Dr. Donaldson is serving as a consultant to three Saudi universities that are engaged in strategic planning for their futures.

Robert H. Donaldson, Trustees Professor of Political Science, will travel to Saudi Arabia for four days in January—his eighth visit to that country in the past 3 1/2 years. Drawing on his experiences in 20 years of higher education administration, Dr. Donaldson is serving as a consultant to three Saudi universities that are engaged in strategic planning for their futures.

The English-medium universities—two public and one private—are seeking to strengthen their research programs and develop deeper ties with Western partner universities as a way of increasing their value to Saudi students who are entering a globalized and more diversified economy.

The universities—King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, King Faisal University in Dammam, and Al-Faisal University in Riyadh—have drawn upon Dr. Donaldson’s expertise in such areas as academic leadership development, faculty policies and procedures, campus planning, and curriculum development. Dr. Donaldson has also served as a consultant to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Higher Education in the preparation of a 20-year strategic plan for higher educational development in the Kingdom.

Kendall hall plazaPolitical science students concentrate on political ideas, institutions, and behavior; rights and responsibilities of citizens; and the relationship of people to government. In addition, students gain a broad knowledge of domestic and foreign political institutions, processes, and problems.