University of Dammam officials with their Thompson Reuters counterparts at the signing ceremony on Tuesday.

Thomson Reuters has signed an agreement with the University of Dammam to benchmark all its research based on international standards.

The partnership was announced at a signing ceremony on Tuesday attended by Abdullah Al-Rubaish, president of the university; Abdulsalam Al-Sulaiman, vice-president for higher studies and research; and Naif Al-Masoud, dean of scientific research.

As part of the partnership, Thomson Reuters would “consolidate historic academic research attributable to the university and provide periodic benchmarking reports to measure progress and impact of its academic output against national and international peers,” according to a media release.

Thomson Reuters plans to create a research management infrastructure that handles peer review, submissions, publication, fund allocation and evaluation.

Al-Rubaish said he was happy with the agreement and described Thomson Reuters as “a global leader in the provision of content, technology and expertise to academic institutions, governments and corporations. As part of the agreement, the university will roll out a long-term strategic plan to develop the international reputation and prestige of its academic output.”

Nadim Najjar, managing director of Thomson Reuters in the Middle East and North Africa, said: “Thomson Reuters have built an unparalleled community of researchers, professionals and innovators around the world, who rely on the accuracy and authority of our content.”

“We have enjoyed a sustained presence in the MENA region for over 30 years, with a strong local presence in Saudi Arabia. We are committed to working with key academic, government and industry bodies to develop a leading innovation ecosystem in the region. We see Dammam University as an integral participant in this effort and look forward to leveraging our reputation and expertise throughout this strategic agreement.”

Yassir Touhami Chahdi, head of IP&Science, Middle East, Africa and Russia, said: “We are delighted to be part of this project which demonstrates a clear intent to enhance Dammam University’s academic output, faculty branding, visibility and international credibility of scientific research.”

“Thomson Reuters have been helping leading institutions accelerate their science, technology and innovation policies in Saudi Arabia and across the globe. The King Abdullah City for Science and Technology (KACST) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) are examples of these strategic partnerships.”

“Thomson Reuters is a core content and technology provider to the US Patent Office and European Patent Office, and have long standing relationships with industry leaders such as Google, GSK and Unilever,” the release stated.

“The Times Higher Education rankings are based on Thomson Reuters data and analysis, and are the only global university performance tables to rank world-class universities across all of their core missions including teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.”

 
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