King Fahd Security College and University of New Haven Sign Collaboration Agreement to Promote Security Studies

Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of the Interior of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during the King Fahd Security College Annual Commencement, General Director of King Fahd Security College, General Major Saad Abdullah Alkhelawi, and University of New Haven (UNH) President Steven H. Kaplan signed an agreement this week to collaborate in the development of a new four-year baccalaureate degree program in security studies. The program will be delivered at King Fahd Security College (KFSC) in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

Under the agreement, experts from UNH's Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences will advise their counterparts at KFSC on the creation and accreditation in the Kingdom of a baccalaureate degree in security studies with three specialization tracks: criminal justice, homeland security and intelligence studies.

"We are excited to put the University of New Haven's world-renowned programs in criminal justice, national security, and forensic science studies at the service of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's next generation of security professionals," said Kaplan. "This agreement deepens longstanding bilateral educational cooperation between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and we are honored to support the further development of security expertise upon which so many in the region and beyond depend."

The Lee College is home to world-class faculty and researchers in criminal justice, national security studies, forensic science, forensic computer investigation, law enforcement, corrections, probation and parole, fire science, arson investigation, victimology studies and related areas. As an institution focused on experiential education, UNH offers state-of-the-art research centers, laboratories and internship and research experiences where students receive hands-on training and preparation for their careers.

The agreement makes UNH's collaboration with King Fahd Security College, the Kingdom's premier training institution for security studies, a natural yet unique academic partnership to establish a center of excellence for security studies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, enhancing security in the Kingdom, the Middle East and globally.

The initiative will advance the close cooperation between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the two countries' 2008 Technical Cooperation Agreement, in the areas of critical infrastructure protection and public security.

About the University of New Haven

The University of New Haven is a private, top-tier comprehensive institution recognized as a national leader in experiential education. Founded in 1920, the university enrolls approximately 1,800 graduate students and more than 4,600 undergraduates.