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Under the auspices of the Minister of Higher Education Dr. Khalid Bin Muhammad Al Anqari, the events of the international conference ( Geography and International Contemporary Changes) organized by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Taibah University were launched within the activities in Al Madinah Al Munawwarah : Capital of Islamic Culture for 2013 A.D. Its events will continue for four day with the contribution of a group of scientists and specialized researchers in the fields and sciences of geography, and climate, natural, and human changes from several countries.The conference’s opening ceremony started with the Holy Qur’an, them , the Chairman of the Organizing Committee Prof. Dr. Sulaiman Al Rahely delivered a speech in which he said “ holding this conference by the University comes as a realization that the conferences and the like are deemed as a tributary of the University’s message, to support and enrich education and research therein. Hence, mobilizing the schools and methodologies of competent specialists from multiple countries at one time and place is an enrichment to this or that specialty and providing new opinions and theories around it. As well, the conferences are regarded as considerable scientific front for the concerned specialty and as an enrichment for its branches, providing the updates therein and exchanging the experiences among its affiliates and its contributors , and the matter of expertise and experiences is not cushy in terms of science and application.In his speech, Dr. Al Rahely added: The conference comes to realize , through researches and opinions, all benefits and dimensions. Once the idea of the conference has been announced, the specialists competed to contribute therein. At the beginning, the submitted abstracts reached 228 abstracts. Then, the Scientific Committee in the conference sorted out the abstracts appropriate to the nature and axes of conference and received 120 papers therefrom, and after arbitration and reviewing, the committee approved 52 researches, particularly in the light of the conference’s available time in 10 sessions, in addition to a number of significant geographic dialogues on natural and human issues participated and managed by an elite of prominent geographers, in addition to a general lecture and a tour in the landmarks of the city.
Then, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Geographic Association Prof. Dr. Muhammad Shawky Bin Ibrahim Meky delivered a speech where he said that the rapid population growth in the world and the cognitive growth led to miscellaneous international changes in an interactive relation at the place in which man lives whether willingly or unwillingly in the natural, human, and technical aspects. The most salient changes are climatic, geological, environmental, economic, social, and political ones and all these subjects fall in the heart of the geographer’s interest.
Dr. Meky added that this meeting is important as it combines two significant elements for any development aspired by any community which are geography and its relation to place and the cognitive and scientific development, confirming that geography has no longer been isolated in traditional methods in education and research, but it has wide contributions as it applies the most up-to-date technologies serving its goals. It thereby seeks to develop Man’s efficiency used for this technology so that this usage will be at the highest levels.
Dr. Meky clarified that the Saudi Geographic Association is deemed as the Geographers’ home in the Kingdom representing the Geographers in the International Geographic Association and it attempts to take advantage of the experiences and experiments of the association and it seeks with all its capabilities to sustain the enlightened geographic thought by implementing several activities aiming at educating the importance of geography in our general life and to develop the geographer’s efficiency to be an effective contributor in the programs of development and scientific development.
Dr. Meky expressed , at the conclusion of his speech , thanks in the name of all geographers in the Kingdom for Taibah University which provided a golden opportunity to meet this distinct elite of the men of science and thought in the world.Then, the speech of the conference guests has been delivered on behalf of them by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Abu Eyanah, the Deputy Chairman of the Egyptian Geographic Association through which he expressed, in the name of the conference guests, his thanks for hosting this conference by Taibah University and stated that the Kingdom is , in every sense of the word, an advanced country and it provides a considerable support for the march of education and learning and witnesses a scientific intellectual revolution for the service of humanity. This city , which has been honored by the mightiest of all humans, celebrates the occasion of the capital of Islamic culture in 2013 A.D., and it is not a capital for Islamic culture for one year only, but forever ,and it will remain an eternal capital for Islamic culture.Dr. Fathy eulogized the axes of the conference which shall be enriched by the researchers in a way serving and attaining the conference’s goals.
Subsequently, a poetic poem has been recited for the guest of the conference Prof. Dr. Salah Abdul Jaber Esa.
Then, speech of the Chairman of the International Geographic Association Prof. Dr. Ronald Abler has been delivered on behalf of him by the Head of the Languages and Translation Department at Taibah University Prof. Dr. Hashem Nur through which he thanked all the participants in implementing and holding the conference, and he outlined in his speech that the interest of geography lies in the comprehensive and integral vision for the world and the admiration of the way of the universe interaction with each other, and this vision comprehends the world’s natural systems, characteristics and behaviors of human groups and their attempts to draw and formulate better world.The Chairman of the International Geographic Association reviewed the considerable historical transformations in the field of geography which led to the difference and diversity we note these days and the world international understanding in geography through conferences, organizations, committees, and associations. Also, he discussed the development of geography and the challenges facing the international association and the way of facing and treating them through projects, experiences, specialized initiatives, and coordinating efforts inviting the specialists to contribute in these activities and events.
Subsequently, His Excellency the Rector of Taibah University Dr. Adnan Bin Abdullah Al Mazrooa delivered a speech thanking His Excellency the Minister of Higher Education Dr. Khalid Bin Muhammad Al Anqari for sponsoring this conference and welcoming the attendees at the University for four days which will be full of dialogues, sessions, and lectures in the diverse branches of geography, cosmic and international changes and the developments therein where natural or human.His Excellency Dr. Al Mazrooa said that this conference comes from the keenness of the conference of the Rulers in our endeared Kingdom under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz and His Crown Prince and His Royal Highness the Second Deputy (May Allah Save Them) and the determination of the University to hold several symposia and conferences in its diverse specialties to be as a tributary for science and an opportunity for exchanging opinions and experience around its issues and following up its developments and being familiar with the civilized and scientific achievements in our country firstly and our University secondly and the renaissance which we witness and motivating the specialists to study several geographic conditions and phenomena and providing the appropriate support from them by the University.
His Excellency Dr. Al Mazrooa expressed his thanks to the researchers who participated in enriching the subject-matters of the conference by their theses repeatedly welcoming them and wishing them a pleasant stay in Al Madinah Al Munawwarah; the City of civilization, knowledge, and light. Also, He expressed His thanks to His Excellency the Minister of Higher Education for His continuous support for Taibah University to be upgraded to the desired aspirations level.
Thereafter, the events of the conference commenced.