Knowledge Day Committee Holds First Meeting
Meeting Minutes
Date: Thursday, January 26, 2023 Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Location: Central Meeting Room, University Administration Building
Attendees:
- Dr. Khalifa Gaid, Committee Chair
- Dr. Abdallah Raqiq, Committee Member
- Dr. Abdelkader Azzam Awadi, Committee Member
- Dr. Shoaib Al-Abyad, Committee Member
- Dr. Raja Adaika, Committee Member
Opening Remarks
The Committee Chair opened the meeting and welcomed the members. He emphasized the importance that the University President, Professor Omar Farahati, places on Knowledge Day and the importance of the University of El Oued being a pioneer and a forum for scientific and cultural debate. He also highlighted the importance of the university’s openness to its social environment through inviting scientific and cultural figures to the university to give lectures and seminars and to benefit from their knowledge and experience.
Agenda Items
The meeting agenda included two main items:
- Discussion of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Memorandum No. 2022/1936 dated December 14, 2022, concerning the allocation of a Knowledge Day in each university institution.
- Development of a program to propose the names of active scientific and cultural figures in the Algerian arena to be invited to animate the University Knowledge Day event at a rate of one person per month.
Discussion of the Ministry Memorandum
The Committee Chair read the text of the Ministry’s memorandum to the attendees and followed it with an explanation of its details with the participation of the members. The memorandum emphasized that the goal of Knowledge Day is to strengthen the openness of higher education institutions to their external environment by inviting scientific and cultural figures from all over the national territory, in coordination with the relevant authorities in the wilaya, to give lectures and meetings in the university environment at least once a month.
The memorandum also clarified that this initiative will enable the Algerian university to regain its natural and leading role in leading the public debate by attracting well-known experts and embracing constructive ideas, sharing knowledge and leading cultural and artistic experiences. This will add to the vitality and dynamism of life in the university environment.
Proposed Names of Scientific and Cultural Figures
After discussion and exchange of views, the attendees proposed a list of names of scientific and cultural figures to be contacted after presenting the names to the University President. They also discussed the logistical and organizational aspects that will contribute to the success of the Knowledge Day event.
The proposed names are as follows:
- Professor Zahra Ounissi, Writer and Former Minister
- Professor Mohamed Salih Al-Siddiq, Scientist, Writer, and Historian
- Professor Abdel Aziz Khilaf, Economist and Head of the Presidency Office
- Professor Abdel Majid Chikhi, Advisor to the President of the Republic in charge of the National Archives and National Memory
- Professor Saleh Baleid, President of the Higher Council for the Arabic Language
- Professor Abdelhamid Bouraoui, Anthropologist
- Professor Belkacem Haba, Scientist and Inventor
- Professor Nidal Qassoum, Astrophysicist
- Professor Riyadh Bouach, Artificial Intelligence Researcher
- Noureddine Ben Brahim, President of the National Observatory for Civil Society
The committee agreed that these proposed names remain preliminary suggestions and will not be approved until after consultation with and approval from the University President, who may assist the committee by adding or modifying the proposed names.
Meeting Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 12:00 PM on the same day, month, and year.
Committee Chair
Dr. Khalifa Gaid
