The Graduate Studies and Research Council at Alexandria University began its session held on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, chaired by Dr. Hisham Saeed, Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research, by extending greetings to faculty members and staff on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr, wishing them continued success and prosperity.

During the meeting, the Council discussed the regulations governing amendments to thesis supervision committees. Dr. Hisham Saeed said that a head of department is not permitted to unilaterally remove a supervisor from a supervision committee. Such decisions are subject to an integrated system of academic councils. He explained that any modification to the composition of a supervision committee must pass through the department council, then the graduate studies committee, and finally be approved by the faculty or institute council, emphasizing that academic decisions are made collectively rather than individually.

The Council also reviewed cases in which supervision committees may be modified, including: a supervisor’s withdrawal, transfer, secondment, or death, the existence of a clear academic or administrative conflict, or the need for additional specialization in the research. In all such cases, proposals must be presented to the department council, then the graduate studies committee, and ultimately approved by the faculty council.

In a related context, the Council discussed ways to develop the evaluation system for faculty promotions to the ranks of Associate Professor and Professor. The discussion emphasized moving beyond sole reliance on research publications in peer-reviewed journals—despite their importance—to ensure a more comprehensive assessment of academic performance. The Council noted that the development of the evaluation system is driven by several factors, including: promoting excellence in teaching and learning, improving instructional methods, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, enhancing technology transfer to society and industry, strengthening universities’ role in community service and sustainable development, and aligning with modern international standards for academic evaluation.

The Council also reviewed several proposed evaluation tracks for faculty members, including: the traditional research excellence track, the teaching and learning excellence track, the innovation and technology transfer track, the community service and sustainable development track, and the academic leadership and capacity-building track.

Additionally, the Council examined a comparative overview of promotion systems in a number of leading international universities, as well as models applied in several Saudi universities, with the aim of benefiting from global best practices in this field.