His Highness Sayyid Dr. Fahd bin Al Julanda bin Majid Al Said, the Vice-Chancellor, met with the 41st cohort for the 2026/2027 academic year at the Grand Hall of the University Cultural Centre. Around 3,120 students have been admitted across the University’s various colleges.
The orientation programme is designed to introduce students to the departments and centres across the University campus and the range of services and facilities available to support them.
These include academic services, religious, cultural and sporting activities, as well as social, psychological and health support programmes. The programme also provides information on important meetings and the times and locations of the preparatory programme examinations.
In his address to the new students, His Highness the Vice-Chancellor stated that reaching the University represents an important achievement, but also marks the beginning of a new responsibility that will prepare them for life beyond their university years.
His Highness emphasised that a university journey is written between two moments: the moment a student enters the Grand Hall today and the moment they stand on the open amphitheatre on graduation day. Between these two moments, he noted, the student's experience takes shape, while their character and future are built.
His Highness also explained that, upon entering university, students move from a stage in which others, whether family members or teachers, guide them, to one in which they become responsible for themselves, planning, making choices and accepting the consequences of those choices. Moreover, he pointed out that the rules of success change at university. What brought students to the University was important, he said, but what they gain from it and carry into their future is even more important. He encouraged students to view university as a stage for building knowledge, skills and character, rather than merely a place to obtain a degree.
He further explained that freedom in university life does not mean the absence of supervision; rather, it means taking responsibility for one's choices. The true value of freedom, he said, becomes evident in the choices a person makes when given the ability and opportunity to choose.
His Highness stressed that the University is greater than an academic specialisation alone. It is an integrated environment that creates an experience and helps develop well-rounded individuals through learning in classrooms and laboratories, scientific research and libraries, as well as student activities and societies, sport, health, community service and volunteering.
Concluding his address, His Highness emphasised that a student's choices are the true compass of success. What students choose today, he said, will shape their future tomorrow. He encouraged the new students to make the most of their university years through learning, exploration, participation and responsibility, ensuring that their university journey becomes an experience that shapes both their future and their character.
The event, held at the Grand Hall of the University Cultural Centre, featured a welcome video and another introductory presentation about the University, its colleges and service units. Students also attended sessions with the Deanship of Student Affairs and the Centre for Preparatory Studies, where they were introduced to academic programmes, the academic advising system, health and psychological services, as well as activities and volunteering opportunities that contribute to a richer university experience.
Students were also given an opportunity to familiarise themselves with SQU's systems and academic regulations, helping to ensure their smooth integration into university life from the very first day.
The orientation programme will continue until 10 September. Foundation Programme examinations will begin on Monday, 31 August 2026, and continue until Monday, 7 September 2026. College meetings with their students will continue for two weeks, during which students will learn about the programmes and specialisations offered by their respective colleges, as well as the services available to them. The 2026/2027 academic year will officially begin on Sunday, 13 September 2026.