Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Investigating the Implementation of Governance Through the Adoption of the Universities Law in Saudi Higher Education(ASTON UNIVERSITY, 2025) Alowaid, Othman; Hall, MatthewThis research investigates the implementation of the new Universities Law in Saudi Arabia and its implications for higher education governance. The primary aim is to develop a comprehensive governance framework tailored to Saudi universities' unique sociocultural, political, and economic context. This study provides a robust theoretical foundation for understanding governance dynamics within Saudi higher education by synthesising agency, stewardship, and stakeholder theories. There has previously been an in-depth exploration of adapting governance in Saudi higher education through the new Universities Law; hence, this research examines the two universities that first implemented the new law. The study explores the governance framework of Saudi higher education, the adaptation processes, and the challenges encountered. A qualitative case study approach allowed participants to describe their experiences. Data collection involved two main methods: document analysis and semi-structured interviews. The key documents analysed were the previous Higher Education and Universities Council Law and the new Universities Law. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from the two universities and the Universities Affairs Council, considered the body supervising universities. This study contributes to the theoretical discourse on higher education governance by demonstrating the novel combination of agency, stewardship, and stakeholder theories and revealing the limitations of existing governance frameworks when applied in isolation. This study addresses practical challenges universities face during the transition, providing insights crucial for successfully implementing governance reforms. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, this research supports ongoing efforts to improve governance in Saudi higher education, aligning with the broader goals of the Vision 2030 initiative. Additionally, it addresses practical challenges universities face during the transition, providing insights crucial for successfully implementing governance reforms. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, this research supports ongoing efforts to improve governance in Saudi higher education, aligning with the broader goals of the Vision 2030 initiative.13 0Item Restricted Explainable AI Approach for detecting Generative AI Imagery(Aston University, 2024-09-29) Alghamdi, Sara; Barns, ChloeThe rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, particularly deep learning models such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), has revolutionized image classification across diverse fields, including healthcare, autonomous vehicles, and digital forensics. However, the proliferation of AI-generated images, commonly referred to as deepfakes, has introduced significant ethical, societal, and security challenges. Deepfakes leverage AI to create highly realistic yet synthetic media, complicating the ability to differentiate between authentic and manipulated content. This has heightened the need for robust tools capable of accurately detecting and classifying such media to combat the risks of misinformation, fraud, and erosion of public trust. Traditional models, while effective in classification, often lack transparency in their decision-making processes, limiting stakeholder trust. To address this limitation, this study explores the integration of Explainable AI (XAI) techniques, such as SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations), with CNNs to enhance interpretability and trust in model predictions. By employing CNNs for high-accuracy classification and XAI methods for feature-level explanations, the research aims to contribute to digital forensics and content moderation, offering both technical reliability and transparency. This study highlights the critical need for trustworthy AI systems in the fight against manipulated media, providing a framework that balances efficacy, transparency, and ethical considerations.49 0Item Restricted An Exploration of The Use of Social Media (Websites/ Twitter) As A Public Relations Communication Technique by Saudi Charities for Relationship Building(2023) Aljaafar, Alhanouf; Rydzewska, Joanna; Rees, SianThis exploratory thesis is one of the first to investigate how charitable organisations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) create dialogue, develop trust, and build relationships using websites and Twitter, aiming to identify strategic communication plans for enhancing fundraising through donor relationship-building via digital means. The theoretical framework comprises Social Exchange Theory, Kent and Taylor’s (1998) principles of dialogic communication, and the two-way symmetrical model of public relations (PR) to examine the use of websites and Twitter as PR tools. Data was collected through qualitative content analysis of the websites of 95 charities, 289 tweets from the Twitter accounts of seven charities, and face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 11 PR practitioners from five charities. The findings revealed that Saudi charities tended to use their websites as a source of information but underutilised the ability to facilitate dialogic communication with stakeholders. Usefulness of Information was the main dialogical principle of communication emerging from the website and Twitter analysis. However, the information disclosed on websites was insufficient, with 38 providing annual reports, 49 with media centres and 76 publishing financial reports. The findings showed that Saudi charitable organisations were not fully exploiting interaction and two-way communication on their websites or Twitter. A charity’s transparency and credibility influence potential donors to make contributions, and the interview results indicated that confidence can be built by delivering and promoting successes and providing visual images and financial reports, as these increase donations. This study offers insight into how Saudi charities use websites and Twitter to communicate and build trust with the key public, extending upon existing knowledge of how websites and social media can be used for PR purposes by charitable organisations. It concludes with implications of how Saudi charities can use websites and Twitter to build and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders.27 0