King Saud University continues to reinforce its institutional culture as a key enabler of its transformation journey, through an integrated ecosystem of programs and initiatives that place people at the heart of change and connect institutional values with daily practice and collaboration.
The Culture Investment Program (CIP) stands at the core of this ecosystem, aiming to strengthen KSU’s institutional identity and co-define a shared purpose, values, and behaviors that unite the university community and support sustainable transformation. The program was launched around a central question: What does it feel like to belong to King Saud University today, and what do we want it to feel like tomorrow? Thousands of faculty members, staff, and students contributed through interviews, workshops, surveys, and open discussions, providing a comprehensive view of KSU’s current culture and future aspirations.
As a key outcome of the program, The Transformation Office, in collaboration with the Deanship of Human Resources, organized Culture Ignite Week in November 2025, marking a major interactive milestone that brought together more than 700 participants from across the KSU community through 36 workshops and experiential sessions. The week aimed to transform culture from a theoretical concept into a lived experience.
Culture Ignite Week featured four main interactive corners designed to bring institutional culture to life through direct engagement:
· UNITE – Purpose: Focused on aligning around a shared purpose, where participants reflected on identity, role, and belonging, and co-created a collective graffiti wall representing KSU’s spirit and shared values.
· INSPIRE – VR Inspiration: Offered immersive virtual reality experiences inspired by global institutional models that emphasize collaboration, innovation, and beneficiary focus, inspiring new cultural behaviors and ideas.
· UNCOVER – Discover What Makes the Difference: Explored impactful moments, everyday behaviors, and habits that define campus life through storytelling and shared experiences reflecting belonging and impact.
· CREATE – Build Together: Utilized LEGO® Serious Play to translate institutional values into practical actions within work and learning environments through play, storytelling, and collaboration.
These efforts are complemented by other culture-enabling initiatives, including Leading from the Front, which translates community insights into tangible projects, and the Transformation Ambassadors Community, whose members facilitate meaningful conversations that connect daily roles to purpose and meaning.
Through these programs, King Saud University affirms that culture is not a temporary initiative, but a foundational pillar for building a thriving university capable of achieving sustainable impact—serving as the bridge between today’s reality and future aspirations.
