The First Forum for the Saudi Japanese Universities started in Tokyo today in the presence of Japan's Deputy Minister of Education Prof. Suzuki, representatives of Saudi universities, a number of parliamentarians and directors of Japanese universities. Addressing the gathering, Dr. Khalid Al-Anqari, the Minister of Higher Education of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, confirmed that the Kingdom's plan to forge an integrated strategy for knowledge economy is a great step in the right path. He said Saudi Arabia has taken a number of steps in this concern, citing the expansion in establishing governmental universities, support for private universities, focus on scientific research, set up of research centers and technological gardens, and sending more students on scholarships to advanced countries, including Japan. For his part, Dr. Suleiman Abal Khail focused in a paper on the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for Dialogue among civilizations on consolidating dialogue among the followers of religions and the effort exerted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for consolidating international relations through dialogue among followers of religions. He explained the influence of the initiative on triggering academic movement among research institutions and its importance as regards urging the societies to give the language of dialogue a leverage over the language of violence.
