The Role of Saudi Universities in Promoting a Culture of Community Coexistence in the light of Contemporary Global Experiences

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the role of Saudi universities in promoting a culture of social coexistence in light of contemporary global experiences. A descriptive method was used. The sample consisted of the faculty members and students at the College of Education in the universities (King Saud - Imam Abdul Rahman bin Faisal- Umm Al-Qura): (248) faculty members and (332) male and female students. The results showed that the reality of the role of universities in promoting a culture of community coexistence from the perspective of university students came to a high degree with an arithmetic average of (3.84), and the results also showed that one of the means of promoting a culture of community coexistence in universities from the point of view of faculty members is to maintain security and stability of society, helping students to properly understand religion and the purposes of Sharia, and protecting students’ culture from the ideas of extremism. The results also showed that one of the obstacles facing universities when seeking to promote a culture of social coexistence is the lack of link between university curricula vocabulary and the culture of social coexistence and the inadequacy of the presentation of some faculty members for activities that help in promoting a culture of coexistence among students. The study recommended the necessity of educating male and female students about the importance of coexistence in building society, through seminars and open meetings organized by the university in the presence of specialists in that aspect.